


From the Flame

by Caiolainne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alpha Severus, M/M, Omegaverse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2019-11-18 08:11:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18116798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caiolainne/pseuds/Caiolainne
Summary: An ancient curse meant to separate the magical and non magical world has been perfected in the East. When Voldemort sets it loose on the world it will change everything. Has the war been lost before Harry has a chance to face his nemesis? Or could this lost battle give him the means to turn the tide? Regardless, win or lose, nothing for Harry and his friends will ever be the same again.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. This piece is meant entirely for entertainment and to provide me with brief escapes from my own boredom. The only thing I’m getting out of it is kicks. Don’t sue, I’ve got nothing good anyways.

Prologue

\- Or -

The Butterfly Wings That Brought the Hurricane

 

“You are lucky I was there Albus,” Severus Snape snarled as he guided the old man to his seat, “What attack of sentimental Gryffindor impulsiveness could drive a wise man such as yourself to such foolishness? That curse could have cost you a great deal more than your hand!”

 

While searching the old Gaunt House, Severus had returned from the dingy bathroom to find Albus reaching out to touch a cursed ring. Severus had barely a second to process and react, casting without really considering what he was doing. His timely use of Sectumsempra had amputated his mentor’s hand above the wrist just as the dark magic consumed it but, luckily, had been swift enough to prevent the curse from gaining anchorage in any more of the Headmaster’s flesh. A simple healing charm hadprevented any more blood loss, closing the necessary blood vessels until they could return to the school and Severus’ supplies, but there would be no regaining the limb and the guilt of having done it was like acid in the Potion Master’s gut. He called a house elf for a blood replenishing potion, noting the healing salve he’d thought to ask for was no longer necessary as Fawkes was already weeping over the older man’s stump.

 

“I apologize, I was...” Albus grimaced, well aware at how close he’d come to his own death and all for ghosts better abandoned to the past, “beguiled by myths. Thank you, most graciously, for your timely action. If you would be so kind as to see it finished?”

 

Severus frowned, accepting the potion from the house elf that popped back into the office and out again, “See it finished?”

 

“The ring Severus, it must still be destroyed,” Albus took the potion without hesitation and nodded toward the mounted sword. A wry smile twisted his pale lips and his blue eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles, “Be so kind as to lend me-.”

 

“Do not-!” Severus growled, but it was too late.

 

“A hand?”

 

Severus gaped at the old wizard, heart racing still from the horror of the evening, and tried to find words for what he felt at this moment. Instead he shook with hysterical laughter which had bubbled up from somewhere deep down inside to tear the last of his composure from him. Unfortunately, once it started he found he could not stop. Albus watched him with twinkling eyes set in a pale face and then joined him in laughter, though the older man seemed less shocky despite his injury. The two of them shook and shuddered until tears ran down their faces.

 

Finally, Severus caught his breath and drew the sword. He raised it, point down over the ring, and gripped the pommel with both hands, “What do you think dear old Godric would think of Slytherin’s Head of House wielding his legendary sword?”

 

Albus waited until the ring was broken beneath the glittering blade before he smiled broadly, “He’d likely feel exactly as I do. Proud.”

 

Severus flushed and then glared, “Do not mock me old man, I can always cut off something else!”

 

“I would not dream of doing so,” Albus smiled. He was exhausted but relieved to have made progress in his pursuit of stopping Riddle but there was much yet to be done, “I must ask another favour of you Severus. I know you had hoped to remain away from his side for a time but... you will have need of an alibi come the start of the new school year. You will need to find reason to be away from here.”

 

“What is it you plan to do?”

 

Albus frowned, hating how far Tom Riddle’s evil had already been allowed to spread, “I cannot allow young Mr. Malfoy to pursue his assigned task nor can I allow him to be harmed for seeking to protect his family. I have... plans that may allow that to be avoided but you must not allow yourself to be drawn into the situation. I believe acting as my envoy to Durmstrang might provide a likely excuse for your absence would it not?”

 

“Indeed. The Dark Lord would be greatly pleased to see your overtures undermined by his own agent,” Severus said, voice dry, “Such an opportunity to thumb his nose at you would be impossible for him to deny himself. How long shall I foresee myself requiring an alibi?”

 

“Until third week of term would be best I believe. No later,” Albus replies, “And speaking of such opportunities as can’t be wasted... seek any knowledge on horcruxes and soul magic that can be found in the school library there. It cannot hurt to know more. But do not attract notice when you do.”

 

“As you wish, Headmaster.” Severus nodded his head gravely, “Then I will prepare for my trip and await a summons to convey my plans to Him. As soon as I have done so, I will depart.”

 

“Thank you, Severus.” Albus paused, fingers tracing his forearm, “for everything you have done. And for everything you have yet to do. You are a good man.”

 

Severus ignored the bolt of warmth in his chest, “No Sir, I am not. But I thank you for saying it, anyway. I seek only what little atonement my remaining years can purchase. Nothing more.”

 

He ducked out of Albus’ office as swiftly as he could and the older wizard watched him go without another word. Albus had hoped to steer Severus from the path of his youth but had not dared risk too much in pursuit of it, his experiences with Grindlewald and young Tom Riddle had taught him caution and his own inability to appropriately judge character. His more recent failure to recognize the treachery of Pettigrew within his own Order had reinforced it. But now he regretted that decision. Severus Snape had indeed been worthy of his intervention and when he had needed it most, when it could have prevented the scars on his soul, Albus had stood back and allowed circumstance to prime a vulnerable young man to be preyed upon by darkness. Still, Severus had fought his own way free and given his life to the cause. Albus was deeply grateful to be able to spare him further pain now. He stroked his stump and felt the last vestiges of terror leave him. If Severus had not been there, if he had not prevented Albus from touching the ring... The Headmaster drew his wand and glared at the elder wood. This year would have gone very differently indeed if he had sealed his own fate tonight. But he had not and their time had not yet run out, his magic was undamaged for all that he was less one hand, and there was much to be done. He summoned a quill and held it carefully in his remaining hand. He had orders to send.

 

******************************************************

 

The Dark Lord watched as his newest follower bowed before his throne, one serpentine hand stroking the head of the enormous snake coiled around his shoulders. He smiled with malicious glee as he considered the most recent developments of his long months of planning, “You are certain you can gain possession of this curse? Do not let arrogance silver your tongue Stegana, I would not be pleased were I to discover your ambition out strips your abilities.”

 

“No my Lord! My sister was fully trained in its development and has been hard at work manipulating the theory and medium of distribution since her dismissal from the Federation. She has tested the results extensively. If you can provide the necessary protections and transportation she can provide you with as much as you need, but it is an incredibly protected method. Her last attempt to return from the East was... interrupted by concerned officials. It will be difficult to liberate her from Durmstrang.”

 

“I see...” Voldemort gripped his wand a little tighter as he considered, perhaps it was not wise to engage in this particular plot at this time. Once his influence was more firmly entrenched in the government here he could seek to reach further east. Perhaps once he had the Deathstick...

 

A figure, robed and masked, entered the room bent at the waist. Voldemort watched the prostrate man approach stroking Nagini with his free hand and idly considering how best to remind this servant how little he cared for waiting.

 

“My Lord.”

 

Voldemort leaned forward slightly and Nagini reared up tasting the air. She could smell the fear, smell her master’s hunger for pain. Voldemort smiled, “Severus, how kind of you to make time for us.”

 

“My deepest apologies my Lord, I have been hoping for your call for some days now but am closely watched, it took some time to arrive without... unwanted company,” Severus’ voice was flat, emotionless, but Voldemort had known this man since his youth. He could hear the underlying excitement. His servant brought news...

 

“And what has you seeking attendance before me so avidly, Severus? Is it news of the boy?”

 

“No my Lord, I am not so trusted yet to be allowed access to him though the old fool grows more complacent with time,” Severus replied swiftly, “But I have been tasked with another mission that may interest you.”

 

“And what mission might that be?” Voldemort hissed softly, his patience was growing thin. He wanted to hurt something, someone, if Severus failed to provide useful information perhaps he could provide the evening’s entertainment.

 

Severus bowed deeper, seeming to sense the precarious position he was in. The slippery snake had always had a sixth sense for danger, it made him very useful, “I am to travel to Durmstrang to recruit aid for the Order.”

 

Voldemort cackled with glee. This was perfect, just perfect, “My dear Severus, you delight me. The symbol of your house is apt indeed. I am very pleased to be brought such news, your skills at recruitment shall reap benefits beyond imagining.”

 

“I am certain I shall.” Severus hummed in answer, sounding pleased, “I swore to see aid brought to my master. It is no fault of mine the old fool did not ask which master I would be serving. What needs have you my Lord? I would see your will done.”

 

“Ah Severus, your news could not be better timed,” Voldemort waved his wand and Stegana slid across the room to stand beside his faithful spy, “This is Vladimir Stegana, Vladimir this is Severus Snape. You shall be the most bosom of brothers by the end of your little trip, I hope?”

 

“Y-yes my Lord! As you will!” Stegana stammered his acquiescence with such delicious terror.

 

Voldemort could almost smell the acrid sweat dripping off Stegana’s skin, it was delicious. He smiled, “You will do as Dumbledore has commanded to a point, do not endanger his illusions of you. I will require your current position to remain unquestioned for at least a little while longer. But, while you are there, you will seek out those who are of a like mind to our cause and offer them my greetings. And when you return... you will escort a guest I dearly wish to meet. I assume Dumbledore has granted you the means to travel in secrecy, yes?”

 

“Indeed he has, my Lord.”

 

Voldemort’s mind spun with the possibilities. Between the old fool’s blind trust and Stegana’s connections, he would have the means to further his plans so much more swiftly and drastically than he had ever hoped. Let Dumbledore try to convince the world that muggles were more than worms beneath their boots once he was done. The chaos that would ensue would leave the world ripe for his picking and once he had control it would be simple enough to gain what he sought now in secrecy from the shadows, “Go then, Severus, and Stegana? See that our guest arrives swiftly and prepared to serve, I do not abide disrespect or delays.”

 

“Yes my Lord.” Both men bowed low once again and backed from the room, leaving Voldemort chuckling with malicious delight.

 

 


	2. Chapter One - Changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All you see before you is borrowed. JK Rowling is a genius and I am but a humble fanatic with a soft spot for Snarry. 
> 
> This work is unbeta’d and thus likely a victim of autocorrect. Constructive criticism will never be scorned, flames will be used to warm my feet. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Chapter One:**

Changed

“Severus! Sweet Circe!”

 

Albus jerked to his feet at Minerva’s horrified gasp. They’d been taking afternoon tea in his office as they did most days during the school year. He was feeling confident after his most recent success. Narcissus Malfoy has been placed in a safe house under Order control and Draco has quailed when confronted by the knowledge his mother was ‘safe’ and he need not commit himself to the path his father had dictated for him. It was so neatly handled and all that had remained was Severus’ return so they might continue to unravel Voldemort’s plans. But that confidence was wavering now. Something was very wrong. He felt his stomach drop when he spotted what had caused Minerva’s out burst. Severus was back from his trip to Durmstrang as expected but in no way was his condition reminiscent of the one he’d left for it in. There was blood, so much blood.

 

“Merlin!” Albus rushed to the prone man’s side where he lay before the fireplace. Severus must have flooed in from his own quarters, the wards wouldn’t have permitted him entry here otherwise, he’d closed them to public access in case he or Minerva should slip and mention Order business as they sometimes did. Albus glanced at the Floo and frowned, there was something strange about the flames, they were oddly purple... Severus groaned and Albus refocused, “Minerva, get Poppy! Take the stairs and summon Filius, there’s something strange about the Floo... hurry!”

 

Minerva nodded and rushed away, shifting to her cat form in mid-stride. Albus rolled Severus onto his side with some effort, the younger man felt strangely heavier than he remembered and he was short a hand, though his stump was enough for most things that didn’t require careful manipulation. He conjured a square of linen and wiped at the blood with his good hand. Beneath the smears he found claw marks and other rounded wounds composed of evenly spaced punctures. It was as if some animal had mauled him...

 

Pain struck like a viper and Albus gasped. He struggled to hold onto Severus as his nose filled with a strange scent. It was acrid and grating, something in him screamed ‘danger’ and ‘threat’ and he suddenly wanted to throw this intruder from his territory. It took the entirety of his will power to stop himself from acting upon the impulse, to remember that this was Severus and he was hurt. Fawkes landed on his shoulder and dripped tears upon the worst of the wounds they could see but still Severus did not wake. Time seemed to slow like molasses dripping.

 

“Headmaster!” Minerva stumbled through the door, eyes wide with fear, “Headmaster! The castle is in chaos. There are fights breaking out among the staff and the students! Poppy has her hands full in the infirmary even with Hargrid helping her haul her patients. Pomona has had to stun six students and two Professors in the last quarter hour. They keep trying to maul her! Horace was one of them so no one’s watching the Slytherins. Rolanda was the other. I sent Aurora to cover for Horace and Filius has gone to shut down the Floo system but it’s like wading through a battlefield! Sybil had to lock herself in her tower and both Charity and Septima have sealed the entrances to their quarters with students inside and they won’t come out. The rest of the students are all over the place and it’s like they’ve all gone mad! Some of them have grown fangs and claws and they keep ranting on about some strange smell and the rest are hiding or begging for help! We need to lock down the castle!”

 

“It’s a curse. If I’m right some people will react violently and some will be incredibly vulnerable, they must be separated.” Albus took a deep breath. Something about Minerva’s scent soothed his racing heart which was lucky as his suspicions made him nearly falter in the face of what he believed was upon them, “Transport Severus to the hospital wing then return to Gryffindor Tower, see that the students are secure and sedate anyone displaying signs of aggression immediately. I will come to you once I’ve seen to sealing the castle and I’ve checked on Aurora in Slytherin House. Leave Charity and Septima where they are, Sybil too, they’re doing exactly what they should. Have Pomona isolated along with any other students that are non aggressive but are attracting the attention of the others no matter what house they’re from, use the Hufflepuff dorms. Have her send any of her aggressive students to the hospital wing under stasis or a stunning spell if necessary. Then join her and bring any of your own students that are being targeted. Did you understand?”

 

“Yes, Albus. Do you... do you know what caused this?” Minerva had rarely found herself afraid within Hogwarts halls, but never before had she experienced chaos of this magnitude in the castle she called home.

 

Albus took shallow breaths through his mouth and reached out to place his palm on the stone wall. He would have to call upon the magic of the castle itself, something no Headmaster had dared in centuries, “I pray that I am wrong, Minerva, but I fear that I do. Go, protect your students, and then join Pomona. If I’m right, the danger has only begun. Go!”

 

———————————————————

 

“Your turn mate.”

 

Harry frowned at the chess board. The pieces were all yelling at him again, something that happened with frightening regularity whenever he gave in to Ron’s whinging about playing. Maybe he should just give up and join Hermione to work on the Potions homework? He’d been doing well with the Prince’s book but it couldn’t hurt to put a little extra effort in. He didn’t want to pass without actually knowing why the things he did worked better than the instructions.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong with the fireplace?” Seamus called from the table where he was working with Dean and Neville, “Anyone - agh!”

 

Harry’s head jerked up and he twisted to see Seamus doubled over and groaning, clutching his head. His fingers looked odd, like he had claws and...

 

“Harry?” Hermione stumbled over sweating and woozy, “I don’t feel...”

 

Harry tried to catch her as she stumbled against the table but his own vision was blurry and he felt suddenly hot and sick. He gasped for breath, reaching for her and slumped off his seat against her prone form, “Ron... get...”

 

“C-can’t... s-so hot....” Ron slumped to the carpet next to Harry, his own laboured breathing loud in Harry’s ear.

 

The last thing Harry heard were screams and snarls and stunning spells being screamed as the world faded into darkness.

 

——————————————————

 

“Ugh!” Harry had a pounding headache. He sat up with a groan and squeezed his hands against the sides of his skull as if the pressure might keep it from exploding. What had happened? The common room fire had... His eyes shot open and he looked around desperately. He was in a curtained four-poster, though not his own, the curtains on this one were yellow. Harry looked down at his body and frowned patting the unfamiliar yellow pajamas. Something wasn’t right...

 

“Sweet Merlin!” His hands shot back up to his head. He sighed in relief to find his tousled hair where he expected it and again when he felt his eyebrows and eyelashes. Then why...? He glanced at his arms again and hissed. Throwing back the blankets he yanked up his trouser leg and felt the panic rise even higher. With a grimace he reached for the waistband of his trousers and pants and pulled them away from his hips. He had to force his eyes open, the desire to squeeze them shut was very nearly impossible to overcome.

 

A sound that was embarrassingly close to a scream escaped as he released the waistbands and they snapped back against his skin. Where had all his hair gone?!? All of it! He was smooth as a baby’s arse from neck to toes! He rubbed his fists against his eyes and then froze again. Where were his glasses? He could see perfectly, his vision should have been blurry and indistinct without them! This last shock was the last straw and he cursed as explicitly as he could, “What in the ever loving fuck?!?”

 

“Ah, Mr. Potter, you’re awake. That’s good,” Professor McGonagall slid back the curtain and sat down on the end of his bed, ignoring his foul mouth though her own was pinched with disapproval, “We’ve all been quite worried about you. It appears the curse transformation had some unexpected side effects in your case and we weren’t sure how long you would take to recover.”

 

Harry stared at his professor in shock, “Curse? Transformation?”

 

“Yes, I’m afraid much has happened in the fortnight you’ve been... asleep. The world is not the same place it once was,” Professor McGonagall placed a comforting hand on Harry’s and a feeling of warmth and comfort rolled over him like syrup.

 

Harry had to fight the strange urge to crawl into her lap and cuddle. He shook his head to clear it and frowned, “Why does it smell like cookies in here?”

 

“That is one of the things that has changed. Let me start at the beginning.” The Head of Gryffindor took a deep breath, her face going smooth with concentration. When she spoke, her voice and cadence held all the familiar authority of Transfiguration lessons. It was oddly comforting, especially since Harry still felt the nearly uncontrollable urge to seek physical contact, “It appears that over the summer, You Know Who came into possession of one of Salazar Slytherin’s ancient curses. Salazar was researching methods of purifying magical bloodlines without resulting in population decline or inbreeding but did not complete his work before his death. It was similarly pursued by Grindlewald before he shifted his focus to other forms of power and it is lucky for us the Headmaster recognized at least the basics of it or we’d be functioning completely blind.”

 

Harry picked at his sleeve, “So what exactly is this curse? I mean, no one was casting anything that I saw.”

 

“It was being further developed by a family of Eastern European Dark Wizards and Witches, closely monitored by the Eastern Magical Federation. Some of the details are protected and will remain secret out of necessity, but suffice it to say that a surprise change in plans allowed for the witch in question to escape the Federation to join You Know Who and he did not hesitate to take advantage of its availability. It seems Madame Stegana, You Know Who’s newest recruit, had managed to infuse the curse in a modified flammable powder similar to Floo powder, only instead of transporting people it transports the curse along magical connections. It was somehow introduced into the national Floo Network and later into several wizarding towns and markets. We are not certain it was intentional or if the wide distribution allowed for magical mutation but the curse has become self-propagating and highly contagious, similar to a muggle virus only instead of being transported via fluid particles in the air, it is passed via contact with magical cores and connections. We are not certain how wide spread the effects are currently but it appears... well, conservative estimates predict this curse to have become a global pandemic by the end of the year.”

 

“What?!” Harry stared blankly ahead, thoughts spinning. Voldemort had always seemed a massive threat but he had never imagined something on this scale. The whole world affected by an ancient curse that... His whirling thoughts stalled, “Ummm... what exactly does this curse do, Professor?”

 

“The effects are... not fully understood. We have managed a primitive hypothesis - some from observation and reports out of St Mungos and some from the Headmaster’s penseive memories of the last wizarding war - but it is essentially just an educated guess. The Headmaster believes it was meant to heighten the differences between the magical and muggle population and increase magical fertility thus facilitating a permenant divide between the two groups. We assume You Know Who was hoping it would be a drastic enough change to result in irrevocable hostility between wizards and muggles almost immediately. And while it has not done that exactly it will probably cause... separation of our populations, even more so than that which currently exists.”

 

Harry felt his stomach clench painfully. This just kept getting worse and worse. What could possibly have happened to cause a permanent divide between the muggle and magical worlds? He didn’t suddenly hate muggles, at least not those with names that didn’t end in Dursley. He thought about asking and then dismissed the desire to interrupt. McGonagall hadn’t diverted from her explanation in any way so far. It seemed almost practiced in much the same way her lectures often did, some improvisation but still working from a familiar script. If he’d been unconscious for two weeks and this really was a worldwide phenomenon, Harry expected it wasn’t the first time she’d had to do this. It made sense when he thought about it really, Dumbledore seemed to be the only one with a background knowledge of what was going on and as his Deputy, McGonagall would be essential in aiding him. She probably knew the speech she was making backwards and forwards by now. It would be better not to interrupt the flow until he knew more. So he waited silently for her to continue.

 

“The effects are varied and have been classified into three basic transformations: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. The Headmaster believes elements were derived from lycanthropy and thus the classifications are essentially the same. Initial reports indicate those already cursed with that condition are moderately less affected which has served to reinforce the use of the classifications in colloquial descriptions though my discussions with the mediwizard community have included a variety of more technical descriptions. It will likely be some time before things calm enough for a standardized description to emerge but it is our belief the current classifications will stick, particularly since they have become so wide spread. I prefer the simpler descriptions myself, we have enough to deal with as things currently stand and what we call it does not change the fact that we must deal with the situation we have found ourselves in. The only pertinent element agreed upon both by the mediwizard community, governments, and general public is that, like lycanthropy, this curse exerts a complete and fundamental change to both the physical and magical composition of its victims and, also like lycanthropy, it is a permanent affliction.” McGonagall paused to compose herself, having lost her rhythm and control over her facial expressions. The cookie smell took on a decidedly burnt undertone for a moment before smoothing out. The Gryffindor Head of House smoothed her tartan robes with a nod and continued, “The initial outbreak has resulted in a rash of casualties and injuries, though sharing of information has allowed protocols to be implemented and the risks minimized, it appears the spread can not be halted and as such must be adapted to. Whatever we do now, in this You Know Who has succeeded.”

 

Of course. Because every time Harry thought he had his life under control Voldemort had to steamroll the whole damn thing. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, “And what are the effects of the transformations. You still haven’t said.”

 

“Yes, well, my apologies, this has been a bit of a whirlwind really. I have not had to lay it all out linearly like this before. Most of those I’ve spoken to have already experienced the majority of the effects themselves prior to any discussion. Let’s see...I believe the most universally shared effect seems to be accelerated growth to maturity and a heightened sense of smell. Initial reports indicate that all the affected individuals are fully physically and magically mature. The trace which tracks underage magic has spontaneously dissolved on all affected and cannot be replaced. Magically binding contracts and spells set to only influence children such as age lines and related magics now only differentiate the untransformed and the transformed with no ability to separate by years. This is particularly strange since the age of transformation is so widely varied. Though none below the age of 15 have been affected, there are those as old as 19 who register as children under the new designation. Further more it appears that those affected can now scent each other and that unaffected magical individuals smell of nothing or a very weak variation of their “adult” counter parts, with the heightening of senses so newly acquired it will take time to ascertain the difference with any certainty. Those unaffected thus far appear to be those in remote areas and young children, considering some of the other effects, we believe those too remote to be affected will eventually succumb as we all have and those too young to be affected outwardly will develop the effects of their infection as they age. However, the most disturbing side effect appears to be the perception of the affected upon contact with muggles. we have discovered the curse renders their smell, or what we now perceive as their smell... The most delicate discription I can provide is... unpleasant. This effect, like the others, seems to be universal even among the young.”

 

“Voldemort has infected the entire wizarding world with a magical virus that makes muggles stinky?” Harry stared at the older witch in slack jawed amazement. He waved his hands vaguely, not sure what he was trying to convey other than complete disbelief, “Really?”

 

Professor McGonagall frowned, expression serious. Harry could tell, immediately, that she was disappointed he was being flip but he couldn’t help it. Voldemort, master of torture and murder and all things dark arts had cursed the wizarding world with overactive noses? It was ridiculous. Perhaps he was just in shock. This wasn’t funny or so simple, but he’d been hit with too many shocks since he woke here to truly process what he was hearing.

 

McGonagall cleared her throat, “Consider for a moment, Mr. Potter, what it would be like to suddenly wake and be unable to tolerate the smell of your muggle spouse, muggle sibling, or muggle parents. Voldemort has ever sought to set those of magical heritage above those without and he has succeeded, whether we win the war or lose, the mixing of our cultures will never again be the same.”

 

“Merlin!” Harry breathed. She was right. How could people make friends, date, or work surrounded by foul smells all the time? Most wouldn’t, whether they thought muggles were equal or not, they would avoid them if not all of the time, at least some just for a break from the constant strain. It changed everything. Suddenly, Harry felt as if the ground beneath him had dropped away. There was no way she had led with the worst of it. Snape would have, Dumbledore would couch everything in sweet sounding words but McGonagall? She built steadily from easy to worst and then tossed a dash of silver lining to cap the thing off. He didn’t even notice himself departing from his usual physical skittishness when he grabbed his Head of House’s hand and squeezed, “What else? You said there was more. What else?!”

 

“The Betas seem to be moderately unaffected in a practical sense. Aside from emitting a soothing scent, unlike our magic, our bodies have changed very little.” Professor McGonagall patted Harry’s hand gently, “The Alphas and Omegas have experienced more drastic changes, and those changes appear to be the element that was developed in pursuit of further encouraging the purification of bloodlines.”

 

“How do you mean?”

 

“Those who transformed into the Alpha classification are larger, more muscular, with more pronounced aggressive and dominating tendencies. There was a problem in the beginning subduing them as they fought themselves and each other for control... They also experienced several enhancements of a more private nature, changes that enhance virility and sexual maturity. Some elements are not so easily identified. Along with the alterations to musculature and reproductive organs, study has uncovered the development of glands in the mouth and beneath the fingernails that we do not yet know the purpose of. Early examinations indicate these ‘Alphas’ have even more strongly developed senses of smell than all the other classifications and are more highly attuned to the classifications of others, their scents affecting the Alphas more drastically than the effects observed in the other classifications,” Professor McGonagall shifted her gaze away from him and fidgeted with her fingers, “This aids them in locating and obtaining their opposite. The third classification... Harry...”

 

Harry swallowed hard, “What happened to the third classification Professor. That’s what I am isn’t it? What’s happened to me?”

 

“It appears that the transformation made allowances for breeding to occur more easily. Most of the afflicted females became Omegas or Betas but some male victims have also undergone the transformation to the Omega classification, though that occurrence is less common. Some of the effects are subtle, loss of mass, loss of hair below the neck, increased emotional and physical sensitivity... but the most prominent effects appear to be the ability to procreate and the susceptibility to the Alpha’s aggression.”

 

“I don’t understand...”

 

Professor McGonagall turned back to face him, eyes full of pity, “All the affected male Omegas gained possession of a womb, Mr. Potter. When I say they can procreate, I mean they can carry young, and are in fact susceptible to being compelled to do so by their more dominant counterparts. The same mechanism that allows for scenting seems to drive this compulsion on both sides though we do not fully understand it yet. Furthermore, like the Alphas, Omegas also possesses several glands of which we have yet to ascertain the purpose for. Two are located here, where the neck meets the shoulder.” She gestured to the curve at the side of her own throat, “It was clear during the initial outbreak that several Alphas were driven nearly mad with the need to bite down on them and those studying the phenomena agree that it seems indicative of the glands in the Alphas’ mouths having a purpose which corresponds to these neck glands. The others are more personal in nature and appear to be meant to further the ability of Omegas to accommodate procreation. No one has tested that theory but logic seems to dictate that is the case.”

 

“So I... I have a...” Harry stammered, horrified. His hands dropped to his abdomen and squeezed as if he could feel the change from the outside. He felt trembles racing up and down his spine like mini-earthquakes as he choked around the words. His voice was very small when it emerged, “I can get pregnant?”

 

“We have not ascertained the exact mechanism by which it occurs but initial examinations indicate... Yes, we believe you can.”

 

“Why is it always me?”

 

“I have asked myself the same question many times, Harry.” Professor McGonagall’s smile was weak but very fond, “However, in this case it is not only you, you will find that Mr Weasley and Mr Longbottom have both undergone similar transformations along with approximately eighty percent of the female population including Miss Granger and Miss Weasley. Current estimates indicate that the numbers seem fairly evenly distributed with approximately eighty percent of the male population emerging as Alphas. Ten percent of each gender have presented as Beta and ten percent of each gender have presented as the non-expected classification for their gender. We have no idea why some males have become Omegas and some females Alphas, we don’t know enough about how this magic works as of yet.”

 

“So Ron and Hermione are here too?” Harry twisted toward the curtain and then sighed when he saw McGonagall was already shaking her head. “Why not?”

 

“You’ve been unconscious for over two weeks, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall patted his hand. Harry was unused to so much touching but kept seeking it out regardless, it made him feel steadier. He gripped her hand again, keeping her from pulling away, “Most experiencing the change lose consciousness for minutes if they lose consciousness at all. The change is almost instantaneous when it is contracted and varies in sensation from pain to nausea to loss of magical control. The Headmaster believes there was an interaction between your transformation and something that occurred to you as a baby. Some pre-existing condition. He did not disclose the details to me out of respect for your privacy but I’m sure he will provide you with a more complete explanation when he is able.”

 

That figured. Harry wasn’t going to hold his breath for Dumbledore to tell him anything unless he had to. If he’d learned anything it was not to expect honest disclosure when it came to anything important in his life, “When will that be do you think?”

 

“It’s hard to say. We’re keeping the classifications separated as much as we can. You’ll find that previous House organization no longer applies in the same way when you leave this room.” The Head of Gryffindor sighed, “Omegas now dorm with Omegas, sit with Omegas, and attend class with Omegas. This is true with Alphas as well, while Betas are allocated on an adhoc basis according to need and desire. We had... difficulties in the beginning, it was deemed wisest to keep everyone separate until we understood more or a cure is found. The Ministry is taking a similar approach with the general population but much is falling to families to monitor and enforce on their own. It’s chaos Harry, we just have to do our best and hope there is still a world to save when the smoke clears.”

 

“What does that have to do with Professor Dumbledore talking to me?” Harry asked, annoyed. Professor McGonagall raised one brow and he blushed as the penny dropped, “O-oh! So the Headmaster is an Alpha then?”

 

“Yes, Harry. He would have been here in my place if he could have done so safely but with so little understood about how this all works,” She spread her free hand out from her body in a gesture of helplessness, “We are taking no chances.”

 

“So what happens now? Can I... can I see Ron and Hermione?”

 

“Of course. We’ll have Poppy take a quick look at you, just to make sure you’re out of the woods, and then I’ll take you to the Gryffindor Omega dorms. You can take dinner in your rooms this once, since it’s past supper time for your group.” McGonagall rose and smiled gently, though her eyes were still worried, “I’ll send Poppy in and return to collect you as quickly as possible.”

 

Harry stared after her through the gap in the curtains for a long time. He didn’t even look up when Poppy appeared, though he heard her muttering about his inability to do anything without needing an extended stay in hospital. He had the same embarrassing urge to cuddle up the the mediwitch as he had with McGonagall though it was even stronger with Pomfrey and the scent he associated with her was not something mildly pleasant like cookies as it had been with his Head of House. Pomfrey smelled like a strange combination of things he associated with home and safety and nurturing, like peppermint tea with honey, baby powder, fresh linens, and baking bread. It shouldn’t have smelled good combined like that but it did, he leaned into her as she examined him and relaxed for the first time since he’d woken up when she stroked his hair. When he realized he was more or less snuggling a member of the school staff, he stiffened and pulled back.

 

“It’s alright Harry. I’m like you,” She smiled kindly at him, “Omegas need touch more than the rest do. Especially from each other though Betas can stand in when needed. You’ll understand better when you return to the dorms, you’re not alone.”

 

“Thanks.” Harry murmured in profound relief. He let his thoughts drift as the gentle touch continued while the mediwitch continued casting her diagnostic spells. He had been asleep for ages but he still felt exhausted. And though he was terrified and confused and vaguely horrified by what he’d woken up to, he also felt strangely lighter than he could ever remember feeling. It was very strange but Harry couldn’t bring himself to be ungrateful. He couldn’t change it, like everything else unfair and unexpected in his life, he’d just have to make the best of it.


	3. 2 - A Brave New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (INSERT STANDARD DISCLAIMER HERE)
> 
> I don't own Harry Potter. All bow down to Madame Rowling who is a genius who graces us all with her brilliance. 
> 
> Now, on with our regularly scheduled manipulation of the beautiful world and cast of characters that were previously going about their business innocently until boredom set me upon them.

Chapter Two:

 

A Brave New World

 

Harry stared at the stranger in the mirror with wide eyes. None of the changes he noted were incredibly profound – he knew anyone who had known him before would still recognize him – but to his own eyes everything was different. He tried to categorize the differences dispassionately, listing them like facts from a textbook during one of Hermione’s review sessions.

 

He was short, but he had always been so. The change hadn’t taken much height from him that prolonged starvation hadn’t already demanded as far as he could tell. He did regret the loss of bulky muscle years of Quidditch had gifted him with however. It had been reduced to a sinuously toned petite-ness that was more androgynous than he was really comfortable with. Particularly since he no longer had any body hair to add masculinity to the loss of muscle mass.

 

Harry watched in the mirror as his hands ran over the flat planes of his chest and ridges of his abdomen. He was glad at least some of the definition he’d cultivated had remained, and he fought the urge to glare at his fingers. They had once been blunt and callused and were now definitively smaller and more delicate. It offended him to see “I will not tell lies” still etched in white against the golden tan of his surrounding flesh. So much else had changed, why had he been left with that? But perhaps the reminder of what had gone before would help anchor him now that everything else was so irrevocably changed.

 

Harry continued his careful examination of his new body but avoided letting either his hands or his gaze drop lower than his hips. He was still proportionally the same size as he had been there but the loss of hair was much more difficult to accept in a place he’d become so accustomed to finding it. Especially when its growth was connected so intimately with his identity as a mature wizard. Not that it mattered now, since – for all intents and purposes – every individual who had gone through the transformations was by definition brought to immediate physical maturity.

 

According to Madam Pomfrey’s examinations of all her patients, no further growth was to be expected and Harry had been advised to reconcile that truth rather than hold out hope for any further miraculous changes unless a cure was found. Considering Wolfsbane was considered the height of magical ingenuity in treatment of Lycanthropy after over a century, it was generally understood that this curse would be unlikely to see a more ambitious resolution any time soon. It was clear, to Harry at least, that he’d better learn to live with himself the way he was now.

 

Looking at himself in the mirror, Harry experienced a deeper empathy for what Remus must have gone through in his youth. It was an understanding that he had never truly achieved before for all that Remus was family to him. He found it a deeply humbling experience, this discovery that he was a prisoner in his body, a body that was suddenly foreign without any means to rebel against what had been done to him.

 

This was who he was now, the world was the world he lived in, he had to deal with it no matter how bitter the hand he found himself holding. The urge to rail against fate kept leaping to the fore no matter how accepting Harry tried to be. He had to keep reminding himself it could be worse. He was alive. His friends were alive. So long as that were true, there was hope.

 

He stroked his hands back up to the sides of his neck, feeling for the glands he now knew were there. The touch of his own fingers made him feel shivery and weak and he forced himself not to touch them anymore. He would have to leave any further revelations about that part of his body for a time he felt more equipped to process them.

 

Madam Pomfrey had sent him into what was now an unused floor of the Hufflepuff dormitories, once she’d finished her examination, with instructions that he bathe and change before being escorted to his own dorms. But Harry could tell, by the open empathy in her gaze, that she had really been giving him privacy for this exact purpose. His detailed self-examination was something she herself and all the other victims of Voldemort’s most recent machinations had likely already indulged in. And it was a kindness he deeply appreciated.

 

From her whispered explanations as she had worked, Harry had learned of the chaos and hysteria of the initial outbreak. How Professor Sprout was identified as one of the first Omegas to transform and how, as a result, Dumbledore had ordered her and all other similarly affected individuals confined in Hufflepuff’s dormitories until the crisis was contained. How she had remained under McGonagall’s protection and supervision as more and more Omegas came to join them until only Pomfrey herself had refused seclusion out of concern for her other patients. How Hagrid, who was a beta like most individuals with nonhuman heritage, had acted as her guard until the last of the injured were recovered and stood guard still to keep those without good reason from the Hospital Wing.

 

He’d also learned that while no one but Dumbledore knew exactly what had afflicted Harry to put him in what was essentially a coma, she had placed him in isolation for observation and treatment when Hermione and Ron reported he’d begun sweating a black substance that was corrosive to anything it came in contact with. That symptom had apparently progressed to seizing, vomiting, weeping, and otherwise expelling more of said substance from every orifice for the following two days. When it had finally stopped his vitals had stabilized and diagnostics had found him to be healthy, though as much changed as the others had been, though significantly weaker.

 

The most curious aspect of his sudden illness had been, according to Pomfrey, the substance’s resistance to Banishment or any other kind of magical disposal. She had been forced to gather it in a containment field and Dumbledore had taken care of getting rid of it. It had struck her, she had told Harry as she checked his temperature and blood pressure, as quite odd that Dumbledore hadn’t wanted her to include any mention of the substance in the reports she was compiling for the Ministry and St Mungo’s on the curse’s myriad effects.

 

Harry had been deeply disturbed by the details of his illness and while he had made a mental note to ask Dumbledore himself when the chance arose, he hadn’t hesitated to gratefully accept the opportunity to clean himself more thoroughly, he was sure, than the multiple cleaning charms and sponge baths had done. Though, now that Harry stood in the bathroom examining himself, he could find no trace of the substance anywhere. It was clear that his concern over his health and hygiene was unfounded. And now that he’d reassured himself, he was certain that he’d been correct in assuming Pomfrey’s instruction to bathe was more for his mental health than any continued threat to his physical well being.

 

Harry groped at his chin with careful fingers as if his eyes might be tricking him somehow, but the changes there were no trick of the light either. His facial features had become, like his figure, similarly less masculine. His slightly squared jaw and beginnings of facial hair were now altered to a smooth more angular elfin face. His cheekbones seemed higher and more defined too below eyes that, without his glasses, seemed impossibly large in his face. It didn’t help that they were surrounded by lashes that were even longer and thicker than they had ever been before and Hermione had bemoaned his blessing there on several occasions. He was grateful they remained the same brilliant emerald green they had always been though. His heritage from his mother was unchanged in that small way at least.

 

His scar was also unchanged, still slashing across his brow like a lightening bolt, but it was more easily hidden by his hair now which had grown long enough to begin to curl in a riot around his face and neck as it had never done before. He pulled one curl and watched it spring back up with a frown. He noted with disgust, that his lips pursed into a more pronounced pout now and he bit into the bottom one experimentally, discovering more by feel than by sight that they were fuller than they had been before. He realized that he’d never before dedicated this much attention to his own appearance before. Perhaps he wasn’t as different as he thought? But no, even with a careless disregard for vanity, it was impossible to ignore yourself completely.

 

Taking a deep breath, hands shaking, Harry forced himself to turn from the mirror. He scurried into the shower stall and set about scrubbing as swiftly as his trembling limbs were able. In minutes he was clean and he dried off with slightly more difficulty as the quivering in his limbs grew more and more pronounced.

 

He struggled, still damp, to dress, and felt tears well in his eyes as his trousers and shirt hung off his diminished frame in much the same way as Dudley’s hand me downs had in the past. He hadn’t thought he was that much smaller, at least not from his perspective relative to McGonagall and Pomfrey, but it was clear now that he’d been mistaken. His proportions were similar but he was obviously much smaller than he had been. Harry realized, as he held his trousers up with one hand and turned the doorknob, that Madam Pomfrey must have experienced a similar loss of her previous height as she too was cursed as an Omega and that was why he had thought himself still the same general size. He emerged with wet cheeks and choked on a sob at the look of understanding on the mediwitch‘s face when she took in his predicament.

 

With a wave of her wand, his shirt and trousers sized themselves perfectly, and she tugged him into a tight hug, “It’s going to be alright, Mr. Potter. We’re all in this together, every one of us, it’s alright to be overwhelmed and it’s more than alright to express that. Especially for the ones like us, you’ll see.”

 

Harry felt the last of his tremulous control snap and he sobbed into her robes in a way he hadn’t since Sirius had died. He was tired of never having any control over his life, over what happened to him. Tired of constantly waking up in a world that only grew more terrifying and more foreign with every change that came upon him without warning or his input.

 

He’d spent his formative years in hunger and darkness and then his years here, where he was purported to be loved and supported, in a constant state of intellectual starvation under the shadow of a predatory psychopath, hunted by death and now this. But Madam Pomfrey was right about one thing, he realized, as the tears slowed and he struggled to calm the gasping of his breath. It _was_ easier when it wasn’t just him. Even though it made him feel vaguely guilty, it was infinitely better not to be the only one adrift and at a loss over the latest crisis. The novelty of unquestioning acceptance and sincere empathy allowed him to shore up his emotions far more quickly than when he was encouraged to maintain constant control. Like putting himself back together after falling apart was easier than attempting to keep all the pieces in place indefinitely. He felt more vulnerable but at the same time stronger, more emotionally flexible, less brittle. Or maybe that was another side effect of the change.

 

He took another deep breath and exhaled, stepping back, though he kept his eyes down. Mumbled, “I think ‘M alright now.”

 

Pomfrey modded, “If you get your robes, I’ll size them for you as well and we can get you to Professor McGonagall.”

 

Harry did as instructed and found himself feeling much steadier after he wrapped himself in the re-sized black robes. They felt almost like armour, “Umm... Madam Pomfrey? Do you... is my wand...?”

 

“Oh! Yes! Of course, you’d want to know!” Madame Pomfrey produced the familiar length of holly from her apron and Harry grasped it gratefully. The wood warmed welcomingly at his touch and he fought the urge to stroke its smooth grain as his fingers tingled with magic.

 

Harry grinned, feeling even more stable with it at hand, “Thank you!”

 

“Let’s be off then,” Pomfrey gestured for Harry to follow and led the way through the door onto stairs that spiralled upward rather than down as the Gryffindor dorm steps did.

 

Harry kept his head down as he walked. This was another effect of the change he hadn’t expected, his stride no longer felt the same. His diminished height made it necessary to concentrate on every step as he attempted to navigate stairs that seemed just awkward enough to trip him up if he wasn’t careful.

 

“What is that sm- ugh!?!” Harry covered his nose as they passed a set of doors on the right and almost stumbled when Pomfrey sped up.

 

She glanced over her shoulder at him, her own expression tight with distaste, “That is the Hufflepuff Alpha’s dormitory. Individually there is nothing distinctly unpleasant about the scent of Alphas but with so many grouped together they can become quite riled and you’ll find that people’s scents shift with their emotional state. Negative emotions tend to be correspondingly unpleasant to smell. Your own scent, which to me as another Omega, is quite pleasant changed as your feelings did. It soured noticeably when you were upset and afraid. It takes some getting used to but can be quite useful when it isn’t embarrassing. Privacy and personal boundaries are somewhat... blurred when you can smell how people are feeling.”

 

Pomfrey paused at the back of a portrait and smiled tightly at him as it swung open, her cheeks pink. Harry noted with sudden understanding that he had scented the warm slightly bitter shift of her scent that indicated embarrassment. That would definitely take adjusting to.

 

He tilted his head in curiosity as she continued, “You might want to keep that in mind as you adjust. We’ve instituted a strict policy of respect on this but... well, this is a school full of teenagers.”

 

“Oh? Oooh!” Harry flushed dark red and became very interested in the stone floor as he passed her on his way into the Hall as the possible indications of teenagers smelling each other’s emotions became painfully apparent. He knew if he tried to speak he’d trip over his own tongue and that Pomfrey probably knew he’d understood since his own embarrassment was likely much more obvious in his scent than her own had been. He was immensely grateful when he found himself suddenly surrounded by the comforting smell of baking cookies and his head shot up, “Professor! Are we going to the dorms now?”

 

“Indeed Mr. Potter,” McGonagall’s usual stern expression was lightened by a knowing twinkle in her eyes, “If you will follow me?”

 

Harry waved at Madam Pomfrey, grateful she needed no further comment from him, and turned to follow the tartan wrapped Gryffindor witch.

 

He had to half jog to keep pace with her and noted with a twinge of displeasure that his new stature was even more obvious walking the familiar halls with his Head of House. With both of them upright, the differences in their size was more apparent, especially as she marched along as efficiently as ever and he struggled to keep pace. It was like being back in first year. He told his pride to shove it as they exited another staircase, this one almost changing before he’d leapt clear, and gasped, “Professor! Please! Could you... c-could you slow up a bit?”

 

“My apologies!” The cookie smell bittered with embarrassment and Harry smiled gratefully when McGonagall shortened her stride to something more manageable. She glanced at him, examining him carefully, and Harry was certain she was trying to judge his emotional state so he kept his smile plastered on even after it began to feel forced.

 

Her slight frown said she wasn’t particularly buying it but she didn’t challenge him on it either, for which he was grateful, “The Headmaster would like to speak to you in the morning before classes to answer any questions you may have and to discuss your illness. You will be escorted outside the Entrance Hall where he can join you, we have decided it’s best to keep inter-classification meetings out of doors when possible as the scent build up in enclosed spaces has been incendiary in some cases. Neither the Headmaster nor myself foresee that kind of issue but erring on the side of caution has proven the wisest course thus far. I will take you after breakfast, barring any complications or emergencies, and then to class afterwards as the upper year Omegas have Transfiguration first.”

 

She waited for his nod of agreement before continuing, “Wandering the halls has always been forbidden after hours, though you may be surprised to hear it considering your history with late night wanderings, but I would like to reiterate that these rules are of even more strict necessity in the current circumstances. The common rooms have been separated as well for the time being though that may change as needs must. Please keep to the designated areas and accede to the need for escorts until better protocols can be put in place. That applies equally during daylight hours. The risks are more dire than they have been previously, especially for Omegas. It will not be detention and house points you risk if you choose to disregard the rules this time Mr. Potter.”

 

Harry nodded fervently. He didn’t really understand what she meant, but it was clear that whatever issues there had been so far between Alphas and Omegas, he did not want to find out first hand.

 

“I won’t Ma’am. I mean I will. I mean....!” He flushed again and grimaced. Swallowing, he tried to untangle his own tongue, “I’ll follow the rules. I promise.”

 

“Thank you Mr. Potter.” She stopped outside the familiar portrait of the Fat Lady and turned to face him.

 

“Oh, another Omega? We’ve more than any other house at last count,” The Fat Lady smiled brightly, puffing up, “I can’t wait to tell Morganna!”

 

McGonagall bristled, her cookie scent taking on that burnt edge Harry was beginning to think indicated anger or frustration, but she huffed and continued as if the portrait hadn’t said anything at all, “The alterations to the castle have resulted in this portrait leading to two completely separate rooms depending on the password. The Omega password is ‘Sanctuary’. Do NOT give the password to any Alpha you encounter under any circumstance, even if they are from Gryffindor. Do NOT attempt to enter the Alpha side of the tower even if you should stumble upon the password.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Harry nodded his understanding and bounced on his toes, “Can I... can I go in?”

 

“Yes Mr. Potter, you may,” Professor McGonagall answered with a fond smile at his enthusiasm. Affection made her cookie scent even more pleasant and once again awoke that odd urge to seek physical contact Harry had struggled with off and on since waking.

 

Harry shook his head at his own ridiculousness and turned to the portrait but froze as a strange smell reached his nose. He cocked his head trying to place it. It was nothing like anything he’d experienced so far. Something about it pulled at him, he wanted to stay where he was, focus on it until he understood what it was making him feel. Was it very pleasant or unpleasant? Why did he feel like trembling again? A part of him wanted to flee and another part wanted to draw closer, his nerves jangled with electricity as he quivered between fascination and flight.

 

“Back away from the portrait, Mr. Potter. Now!” McGonagall drew her wand and levelled it at the opening that was appearing from behind the Fat Lady’s portrait.

 

Harry stumbled back, ducking behind her as Seamus Finnegan and a seventh year whose name he didn’t know appeared with their noses in the air, eyes searching. Harry gaped at his friend with open astonishment, finally realizing why McGonagall had stressed the seriousness of remaining separate from the Alpha students. They were massive.

 

Harry had thought that the other boys in his year had begun to fill out earlier this year when they’d returned from summer holidays, but there was nothing tentative about their maturation now. Seamus had to be more than six foot tall and fully twice as muscular as he had been before. A sandy shadow of facial hair dusted a jaw that seemed more square now than he remembered and the white tips of elongated incisors peeked past the edges of his lips as he searched for something in the hall. The other boy was of similar height, bulk, and maturity. He was also equally captivated by whatever it was he was looking for.

 

Harry realized what that was with a shiver of horror when both boys locked onto him and a rumbling growl filled the corridor. He swayed, trembling, as the sound reached him and he had to put one hand on the wall to keep his feet. What was wrong with him? And that scent? What was that? Strong and musky and heady, he felt disoriented and dizzy like he sometimes did after too long in Professor Trelawny’s tower, “I don’t feel so...”

 

“Back in the tower! Both of you! I will deal with you shortly. Move! Now!” McGonagall gestured with her wand and a shower of red sparks sprayed the two boys in the face. They stumbled back snarling and another flick of her wand shut the portrait, “Sanctuary!”

 

The Fat Lady sighed and then swung open again revealing a round opening that veered to the right. McGonagall guided Harry to it and pushed him through, “Off you go. You’ll feel better once you’re in. I will meet you in the great hall tomorrow morning. I trust you won’t need a reminder to stay with your escorts on the way to breakfast?”

 

Harry shook his head violently, half because he definitely would not need any reminders thank you very much and half because he was still feeling a bit woozy from whatever it was that had been pouring off Seamus and the other boy. He turned with a barely there stumble and jogged down the passage way as fast as he could, fairly bursting into the common room. Or half of it anyway. It was no longer a round room, more a fat crescent, and the furnishings were decidedly more relaxed. The floor was littered with massive cushions arranged around low tables. Luckily, few were occupied, most of the students having gone to bed. The two that remained, however, were a welcome sight.

 

“Harry!” Hermione was almost exactly as he remembered, though like him her features had sharpened into something slightly more delicate and her height was almost the same as his though she had once been taller. He grunted when she tackled him in a hug.

 

It felt wonderful to have her wrap her arms around him and have his nose fill with the scent of fresh parchment, hot chocolate, and a just lit fire. He inhaled deeply and relaxed into her arms with a sigh, unsure when exactly he had become so tactile and reliant on his sense of smell. He rolled his eyes mentally, feeling like an idiot, probably when he’d been cursed. Berk. Whatever, it was really nice and he was glad for it right now after the not-quite-an-incident outside the portrait.

 

He felt another set of arms come around from behind him and relaxed even further as a scent he knew instinctively was Ron joined Hermione’s. Ron smelled of summer fields and something sweet and citrusy. Harry startled as a rumbling sound seemed to rise up from his diaphragm to vibrate in his chest, “What the hell?”

 

“At least there’s no doubt you missed us, mate,” Ron laughed and squeezed him one more time before stepping back, “Took us a bit to get used to it too but the purring is normal, at least hereabouts. Part and parcel of the new packaging if you catch my meaning, it happens when we’re happy.”

 

Harry turned with a smile to reply and gaped at his friend. Of all of the familiar faces he had come across, Ron had changed the most. He’d lost more height and bulk than anyone else Harry had seen and, like Harry, he had become vastly more androgynous in his features, not feminine exactly but _pretty_ would no longer be a laughable descriptor. His freckles were far less prominent on his pale skin and his red hair had tinted to a shade of copper that was less garish yet still just as bright. At least the vibrant blue of his eyes remained the same, and like Harry had with his own reflection, he found himself relieved at the sense of familiarity he gained when he focused on them.

 

Harry cleared his throat, “So uh... things are a bit weird now, yeah?”

 

Ron and Hermione both dissolved into laughter, gathering him up against them as they shuddered through the fit of hilarity and then tugged him over to one of the giant cushions.

 

Harry dropped down into a comfortable sprawl between his two best friends and heaved an exhausted sigh, “I have been through some really strange things since my eleventh birthday, but this has got to be the weirdest. Can you... have you learned anything about what’s going on? McGonagall and Pomfrey explained a bit but I think I’m still a little in shock to be honest.”

 

“Dobby said you were on your way up, figured you’d be hollow as the suits of armour after all this time.” Ron tugged a tray of stew and bread over on the table that Harry hadn’t noticed and gestured for Harry to eat, “What do you know so far?”

 

“The basics I guess. Voldemort cursed everybody to be repulsed by muggles and now we’re all these Alpha, Omega, Beta whatsits.” He shrugged, dunking some bread in his stew, “We can smell each other and the Alphas are all violent fang faced bastards. Betas smell like pudding and Omegas are tiny hairless baby making machines. There was more but I don’t know how much stuck really.”

 

“That was an... apt summary, Harry.” Hermione muttered, “A bit sexist but it’ll do I guess.”

 

Harry flushed, smelling her annoyance, and felt instantly guilty though it was tempered by the overwhelming sense of unreality that still dominated his thoughts, “Sorry ‘Mione, it’s just weird because of the twig and two berries I’m still sporting, y’know? You’ve always had a... well... girl bits. Mine are new.”

 

Hermione snorted, her scent smoothing, and hugged him again, “You’re right Harry, of course. Ron fainted when McGonnagall first explained it all to us, at least you’re fairly calm about it all. I keep forgetting you’ve slept through most of it. It must be really strange to wake up and have everything so different. Especially when you were so sick. How are you feeling, by the way?”

 

“ ‘M fine.” Harry muttered around his mouthful.

 

But he wasn’t sure she heard him over Ron’s affronted,”Oi!”

 

“Honestly Ronald!” Hermione scoffed, “You needed smelling salts. Twice!”

 

Ron glared darkly, “We agreed not to mention it again. _Ever._ Traitor.”

 

“It’s Harry!” Hermione replied sagely, “He’s family, it doesn’t count.”

 

Harry felt that rumble well up in him again. Family. He liked that. He liked that alot. His two best friends leaned into him and simply stayed that way in silence for a while as Harry shovelled his dinner down. Dobby had been right, he was starving.

 

He swallowed and nudged Ron, “You heard anything from home?”

 

“Yeah,” Ron sighed, “Mom almost came to take me and Ginny out of here after what happened at the Ministry but the school’s been put under lock down. Dumbledore thinks it’s safer for us here until things are more settled at the very least, or that’s what he’s been telling everyone, but McGonagall figures he did it to keep the muggleborns where they can be taken care of since they’ll be unsupervised and unprotected if they end up hidden in the muggle world when who knows what might still be coming. Nobody knows for sure what the long term fallout is going to be.”

 

“What happened at the Ministry?” Harry asked. He stuffed another bite of stew in his mouth and then more bread.

 

“Ron’s Dad was hurt when the outbreak happened. The transformations there were predominantly Alpha, only a couple Omegas of either gender cropped up, except in certain departments, and they managed to lock themselves in mostly, since the majority of them worked alone or with each other but there was... Well, Mrs Weasley says it seems like Alphas need to establish a pecking order when they are congregated in large numbers without enough Betas to keep them calm and it’s even worse if there are Omegas around.” Hermione was chewing her bottom lip, clearly unhappy at the lack of accessible research materials. If there was one thing Hermione hated it was not knowing the answers to things, “Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are both Betas, thank God, but Percy... he was one of the ones who turned Omega and when Mr. Weasley was trying to get him out... he got between a couple Alphas trying to grab Percy and...”

 

“They almost tore him to pieces.” Ron whispered. His scent went dull and salty, like tears, “Mum got a healer to him in time but it was a close call. If he hadn’t been in the Atrium at the time, if Percy hadn’t had his wand on him, or if the Alphas hadn’t been so caught up they forgot to use their own... There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong. Dad and Percy made it out ok but the reports from the office Dad got said that wasn’t exactly the case for everyone. Scrimgeour was killed and Fudge was meant to step in but it was clear pretty quick he had no real control, he’s a Beta like Dad and none of the Alphas will listen to him.”

 

“No one ever really listened to that moron to begin with, curse or no curse,” Harry scoffed with a dismissive slash of his spoon. He thought about Scrimgeour being dead and swallowed hard on his next bite, almost choking. He had to cough to clear his throat, “What about the Aurors from the Order? Kingsley? Tonks? Mad-Eye? Did they get out ok?”

 

“Yeah. Kingsley and Mad-Eye were in holding for a bit, they both came through as Alphas and pretty near the top of that pecking order Hermione mentioned. They ended up corralling the rest of the Alphas and then let the Betas lock them in. Tonks turned Beta and did well smoothing things over as well.” Ron grinned wryly, “Bill and Charlie have both Owled home as well, Alphas both of them and totally in love with themselves over taking the top spots where they are. Though, to be fair, Charlie probably had a harder time with it than Bill. It seems the goblins aren’t affected by the curse the way wizards are. There weren’t as many Alphas for him to butt heads with since there weren’t as many wizards in general. But among Dragon researchers the numbers seem as skewed as they were in the Ministry, almost all Alphas and no Omegas at all. He ended up a little battered but apparently he’s been appointed head of operations over there since the others won’t listen to anyone else so he must be doing ok now. Mum says he refuses to come home.”

 

“He said he couldn’t come home, Ronald, really!” Hermione rolled her eyes, “With everything so out of control, if he’s got the Alphas there agreeing to do what they’re told, they need him to stay or it’ll be blood and claws all over again. Just look what happened here!”

 

“Wait! Back up for a second,” Harry held up a hand for silence. “What did you mean before when you said Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were both Betas like that was good?”

 

“Oh!” Hermione flushed and glanced at Ron before wringing her hands, “Well if one of them were an Alpha or an Omega but not both... it... Ron! Can you please explain this to him?”

 

“What?” Harry turned to Ron. He was overwhelmed by the sudden sense of horror creeping up his spine, it should have been familiar by now but it still rocked him. He knew, as he had known with McGonagall, that this was going to be bad news somehow, “What Ron?!?”

 

Ron sighed, “Omegas can only be with Alphas and vice versa. With Betas there’s flexibility, they can be with each other or join as a third with an Alpha-Omega pairing but the mediwizards and curse specialists have found something about the magic or the scents or something that makes it impossible for Alphas to resist Omegas or the Omegas to go without an Alpha or something like that. It’s been causing a massive stir with all the couples splitting up, mentioned in all the papers, kind of how they talked about you and Dumbledore last year. No one is saying why exactly but it’s pretty clear what they mean. That’s why we were so relieved Mum and Dad were both Betas because if one or the other were a different classification... Fred and George, they’re Betas too, said Bill and Fleur split over it, hinted at there being a good reason. I asked Mum why but she’s not saying. I figure she doesn’t want Me and Ginny going mad over it unless we have to.”

 

“So... because we’re Omegas...” Harry’s tongue felt too thick. He groped for the goblet he’d been ignoring and chugged a mouthful of pumpkin juice, trying again, “We’ll have to...”

 

“Yeah, mate,” Ron muttered, not looking at him, “We’ll end up with Alphas or nothing. Not that anyone will tell us why.”

 

“Oh. Well fuck.” Harry pushed his dinner away, no longer hungry. He’d never really had much time to think about relationships but he’d always sort of assumed Ron and Hermione would end up together and he’d settle down with a nice witch and start a family. It was never anything concrete and he’d never really had his heart set on anyone in particular though he’d had a mild crush on Cho Chang fifth year and an even milder crush on Ron’s sister Ginny over the summer. He wasn’t _disappointed_ exactly to realize that wouldn’t be happening but it did bother him to realize that one more area of his life was suddenly being taken out of his control. And wasn’t that a selfish thing to focus on? Sometimes, he reminded himself, it wasn’t about just him. He shrugged it off and took one of his friends’ hands in each of his, “Are you two alright? I know we’ve never mentioned... but...”

 

He trailed off, embarrassed to be the one really pointing it out but still needing to know.

 

Ron huffed a weak laugh, “At first... kind of? I guess I felt like I should be, but then we spent all this time together, even sleeping in the same room – and Merlin’s Balls did I think that was a nutty idea when they set us up like that – but no. Even if my mind took a bit to catch up, the equipment’s just not interested anymore if you know what I mean.”

 

“Ronald!” Hermione reached across Harry to punch the red head’s shoulder and then sat back and laid her head on Harry’s, “That was crude but he’s right... I don’t know what they’re keeping from us but I do know there’s a reason no one’s worried about Omega boys and girls sharing rooms together. We’ve all become very tactile but it’s been clear since the beginning it’s only ever been about comfort. None of us have any urge to make it more than that and we’d all know immediately if anyone did. Whenever Ginny talks about Dean you can smell it all over her.”

 

“Oi! That’s my sister you’re talking about!”

 

Hermione just sniffed and ignored him, pulling the book she’d obviously set aside when Harry arrived onto her knee and flipping it open. She glanced up at Harry and rolled her eyes as she always did when Ron whinged at her and then turned her attention back to her book.

 

Harry laughed, basking in the moment of the familiar. Tomorrow would probably be just as weird and shocking and totally out of his control, but for now, he was safe and comfortably full with his friends sprawled around him. He would deal with tomorrow when it arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the first few chapters completed and was just editing them a bit before I uploaded them so things may slow down a smidge over the next few weeks but it is the most present plot haunting my writing hours so hopefully there won't be any massive gaps. Enjoy!


	4. 3 - Regrets, Reports, and Rebellion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, so I have ventured off on a tangent that needs fleshing out between what is posted so far and what I have already written. The bad news - I needed some time to pump out this chapter and the next. The good news - there is a like 30000+ words already written that will just need editing once I'm done this bit and the next one. So yay for productivity! Hope you guys like it!  
> The Harry Potter universe does not belong to me, I make no money, I do not intend to do so, this is just for fun. Enjoy!

 

Chapter Three:

Regrets, Reports, and Rebellion

\----------------------------

 

Severus Snape had regretted many decisions in his life, most of them – like this one – had led to a great deal of pain, but he’d never experienced regret quite on this scale before. He’d thought he knew true suffering when he’d held Lily Potter’s body in his arms in the wreckage of the house in Godric’s Hollow. It had ripped his heart from his chest to lose her, to lose any hope of reconciliation. But this... this wasn’t just one love taken from him, a personal loss, this was a world altering catastrophe beyond anything that had ever been seen. And it was his fault.

 

“Severus, my boy,” Albus breezed into Severus’s quarter’s as if they were his own and seated himself in front of the fire. With a wave of his one remaining hand tea appeared on the coffee table and the old man lifted his cup with a smile of delight, “How are you feeling?”

 

Severus spun to glare at his mentor, a snarl on his lips, “How can you ask me that?”

 

“I ask because I care for you deeply and it would soothe me to know. I also ask because in our time of crisis you refuse your duty,” Albus replied calmly, though his expression was stern, “The Slytherin Alphas are without guidance, something we can ill afford with Voldemort beyond our reach. Draco Malfoy’s neutrality was only barely assured before his father’s death and now with the long term effects of the curse unknown we can ill afford a rebellion inside the castle. The chaos is already too widespread. The Ministry fell within hours of the initial dispersal of the curse and is only functioning on an emergency basis. I have been consulting via Floo with the acting Wizengamot and acting Minister but all government activity is currently reduced to search and rescue and other emergency responses with the exception of the special committee rewriting relevant legislation as we isolate the curses secondary effects. I have little time to apply to maintaining peace in the castle itself whilst there is such a desperate need for my input elsewhere. I cannot be caught up in petty dominance struggles among the students, Severus.”

 

Severus swallowed hard and then stiffened his spine, “Indeed. I had wondered why I was not summarily incarcerated following my recovery.”

 

Albus sighed, “Severus, my boy, you have been through a trauma and you needed the time to recover but I can no longer allow you to wallow in misplaced guilt. You are needed. This curse has influenced more than just the physical well-being of those inflicted with it, it has done something to the very core of what makes us wizards. The Alpha magic seeks to bind us together, to establish a hierarchy that is magically enforced and the instincts we all feel so strongly _want_ to see it done. It is a terrible temptation that even I, with my advanced age lessening the strength of the pull, have to actively resist. Young Mr. Malfoy does not have the experience to control those desires and his instincts have already driven him to challenge me in a way he cowered to even consider a few weeks ago. He is too strong and his loyalties too uncertain for him to be permitted to gain control of this kind over his classmates without someone trustworthy to leash him.”

 

“Albus! Surely...” Severus began but Albus silenced him with an upheld hand.

 

The Headmaster set down his tea and turned to face Severus head on. He dropped any pretense of geniality and let his words hold the weight they deserved, “If you cannot provide that control, I will have to eliminate the threat.”

 

Severus didn’t need him to clarify, “You would not harm a student.”

 

“Yes, Severus, I am afraid that I would.” Albus rubbed his face and let his exhaustion show for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure, “Even one as old and wise as I am lauded to be cannot circumvent the curse’s effects completely. One day he will become strong enough to pose a danger and when he does... You must take him in hand or I will have to. We cannot afford a knife at our backs. This is war, Severus, war of a kind we have not faced before. It is not the time for self pity. Not for any of us.”

 

Severus had not considered the ramifications of his self imposed isolation in that light. He tallied the regret on the laundry list of others, what was one more failure in a life time of missing the mark? Still, he would have to see that something was done. He knew his snakes, knew that if what Albus said were true and they had the power he now had at their fingertips they _would_ be tempted to abuse it, “But you have them in hand now? They are safe?”

 

“Septima has the Omegas in her care but Slytherin did not produce many. Your House had the lowest count in the school, even among the girls.” Albus assured him. He picked up his tea once more, certain now that Severus would listen, “But conversely, it also had the highest proportion of Alphas. Their confinement and lack of leadership need to be addressed and we haven’t enough Alphas to spare. Rolanda is working with the betas to control the other Alphas, but Slytherin has always required special handling. The prejudice and resentment are too deeply entrenched, especially in this political climate. They do not trust the other staff members. They need you.”

 

“You do not need to twist the knife deeper, Albus!” Severus stalked back toward the Headmaster, dark eyes wild with rage and aggression. He didn’t know why he was so angry. He wanted to hurt something. Someone. He wanted this interloper... He shook his head and tried to calm himself, he was behaving irrationally, “I know what I am responsible for. I apologize for failing you in this as well.”

 

“I do not think that you do know, Severus,” Albus replied. His nostrils flaring once was the only sign the elder wizard was affected by Severus’ behaviour at all. He sipped calmly at his tea, “I would not have needed to hunt you down were that true.”

 

Severus hissed and paced away again, power swirling around him out of control. He did not want to add harming his only remaining friend to his regrets, he had done enough of that already, “I thought my wards made it clear that I did not desire company!”

 

Albus raised a brow, he knew the other man was both instigating a challenge and submitting at once. Severus wanted a fight but he did not want to win it, he wanted to be punished. It did not matter that Severus’ transformation had left him more physically imposing, the Headmaster was more than his physical stature. And there was no question who would win in a serious conflict. While the curse could not give him back the years he’d already lived or the hand he had lost, Albus knew he more than made up for it in power. A power that was further amplified since linking with the castle. Like young Draco Malfoy, Severus _could_ someday become powerful enough to threaten the Headmaster’s authority, but that day was not this one.

 

Refusing to rise to the bait, Albus merely smiled sadly at the younger wizard, “You were in dismal shape when you arrived back Severus and because of that I gave you what time we could afford. And while I appreciate the reports you sent with Poppy, it is not the same as speaking face to face, details can be missed. You’ve had enough time to sulk now and I need you back at your post. So I decided it was best to take a more direct approach.”

 

“Back at my post? Of course I will aid you as necessary but Albus, do you not feel it unwise to have me involved so directly with the students? I will inevitably be called upon to atone for their affliction!” Severus replied sharply, pacing the length of the room only to spin with a swirl of robes and pace back, “Need I remind you who brought this upon us all?”

 

Albus sipped his tea and set it aside. They had approached the crux of the matter: Severus’ misplaced guilt. It hurt to address this, but it would also provided catharsis. Albus had been told by wiser men than he, that confession was good for the soul, “I am well aware Severus, more so than you it would seem. It was I who first aided Gellert in his exploration of this curse and I who failed at seeing to the complete destruction of his research. If any one other than Voldemort and Stansilava Stegana are responsible for the current catastrophe, then that responsibility falls squarely upon my shoulders and that of the Federation who funded Stegana’s research to its completion. You have done nothing but what was ordered of you at my behest, nothing but dedicate your life to protecting us all at great personal risk. I know you carry a many, many regrets, but this shall not become one of them.”

 

“Do not attempt to absolve me of guilt Albus, I brought this to the school. It was my flight from the Dark Lord’s enclave which saw it spread to the students!”

 

“No it was not,” Albus replied, “Severus, the curse had already spread to the school when you arrived. It was introduced through the National network when Sybil returned from Hogsmeade after her evening wine with Rosemarta. Filius couldn’t tell us much else but he was able to isolate the point of origin and it was not the dungeons.”

 

“What?” Severus froze, feeling suddenly shaky with relief and hating himself for both the emotion and the weakness it brought. He didn’t deserve to feel better, “I... he must have been mistaken...”

 

Severus searched Albus’ face for signs of deception but found none. The old wizard looked tired but sincere. Albus gestured to the other arm chair, “He was not. But had you unwittingly brought the curse upon us in your pursuit of aid, which you desperately needed I might add, I would have reminded you that it was only a matter of time until we were exposed. And I would also have been pleased to inform you that not all the effects of the curse have been negative.”

 

“What on earth do you mean Albus?” Severus sat and took up his own cup, struggling to keep his grip steady.

 

Albus smiled with genuine pleasure, attempting to convey that the news was not bad despite how it would seem, he did not want to upset the other man more than necessary in order to explain. This was both a terrible discovery and a miraculous blessing in one, “I have been concerned for some time that Voldemort’s attack on Harry’s family and his subsequent curse on Harry himself had led to something Voldemort did not intend. That concern worsened last year when it became clear how closely the two were bound. How was it that Harry could see and feel what Voldemort did, how could Voldemort insert thoughts and visions in Harry’s head? After much consideration, research, and examination of every memory I could gather; I began to suspect that what Voldemort had done on purpose with objects like the ring we destroyed he had also done by mistake to Harry himself. That like the ring Harry would need to be...”

 

Severus dropped his cup and gripped the arms of the chair in horror, “No! You cannot truly mean... not him! Not the boy!”

 

“Not a boy any longer, Severus, he made the change as we all have,” Albus answered swiftly, it would not do to allow Severus to suffer unnecessarily, “But no. Though I discovered I was right, in the discovering it became clear such drastic action would not be necessary. The curse did not destroy what was once inside Harry, however, it did result in his body rejecting it. Poppy provided me with a containment field that held the dark magic and I disposed of it as you did with the ring. It would have been easier with your help, but alas, you could not be reached.”

 

This time Severus did not regret the relief, “Do we know why he rejected the magic? Is there some protection inherent in the changed Alpha magic we have not yet discovered?”

 

“No Severus, I do not believe there is. Alpha magic is inherently aggressive and destructive, it does not lend itself well to defensive and healing spells. But it would not have helped even if there were. Harry Potter is no Alpha.” Albus’ expression became oddly contemplative, “I’m not sure what it will mean for the Prophecy, but if it holds true, Voldemort will face an Omega on the battlefield.”

 

Severus felt his stomach twist. He remembered the Dark Lord’s glee as he had watched the young Omega witch cower and tremble before them. She had been a formidable witch before the change, though not a warrior by any means, but she _had_ been brave in the face of her capture before the change. After... the curse had left her fragile as fine china.

 

Potter an Omega... Severus had never imagined the brash strutting Boy Who Lived as anything quite so delicate or vulnerable. Even as a young boy Potter had always seemed larger than life and with his record of fantastical achievements, no matter how much one attributed to luck, Potter was more than just your average wizard. No matter who you asked, the boy was viewed most often as a symbol if not a legend rather than a person. It was always jarring to be reminded that he was also flesh and blood and vulnerable with it. Usually, when Severus was forced to acknowledge it, he was terrified and enraged to feel that way. This was no different, despite Potter being unavailable to berate for scaring the life out of him. Severus wished, for perhaps the millionth time, that the foolish boy would make keeping his Oath a little easier and stay _out_ of harm's way instead of being front and center for every major catastrophe.

 

Severus couldn’t bear the thought of Potter in place of the Omega in his memories. Couldn’t stand to picture him kneeling before the Dark Lord’s throne, not if he wished to keep hold of his sanity. Or give up hope entirely. He slashed one hand through the air, “The Dark Lord cannot know this. Not until we have some way of guarding Potter from him.”

 

“It is one of the many reasons I have been keeping the castle locked down so tightly and Harry’s condition a secret,” Albus stared into his tea for a long moment and then frowned, “It will not remain secret for much longer, however. Everyone is clamouring for more information and official protocols are to reveal nothing without dire need so there is little being released. With the press running out of sensationalist material, they will return to what has always worked before and when they do... No excuse we devise will satisfy Voldemort for a deception of this magnitude, even were you to go directly to him now I believe it would still be too late. I do not think it would be wise for you to return to him.”

 

“If you truly think that wise...” Severus had his doubts. He was certain he could come up with something convincing, and yet doubt preyed upon his mind. He would need to consider it more deeply when the compulsion to obey or rebel weren’t confusing his senses. It had never been so difficult before to be in Albus’ presence. Why was it so hard to concentrate?

 

“What plans we have made must change in light of current circumstances, Harry will need all the protection we can provide him with. Especially if events proceed as I suspect. Two cases of heat have already been brought to St Mungos. Neither managed to be treated in a fashion other than that which Salazar originally intended. I fear it will start here soon as well. I have prepared the castle for every eventuality but it is my hope we can head this off. I have gathered copies of all the relevant communications we’ve received,” Albus produced a thickly rolled pile of parchment from his voluminous robes and offered it to Severus who took it immediately, “Once you have read them I would like you to contact the mediwizards in charge at St Mungo’s and attempt what you can in your labs to counter it here.”

 

Severus had seen what heat did to Omegas. Had stood in shocked horror before he had been exposed as the Dark Lord’s initial ‘volunteer’ was changed and then the others after him. Had watched as Alphas ripped each other to pieces and Betas cowered until one Alpha emerged victorious and reaped the rewards right there in front of all of them. He remembered the girl’s screams. He also remembered his own transformation and the mindless lust and aggression that had sent him into the fray without thought or regard for his purpose there.

 

He could picture in detail how the Dark Lord had laughed with delight as he himself transitioned and brought his servants low before claiming the terrified witch for himself. She hadn’t survived the experience and Severus knew he had been luckier than some others in the Dark Lord’s circle. He had escaped, broken and bloody, but alive. Lucius Malfoy had bled to death early on in the chaos when his arm was ripped off by MacNair. Avery had died convulsing with venom as he bled out onto the floorboards after Nagini finished with him. Several others, still masked, had been even more grievously injured than Severus himself, some with wounds he had inflicted during his escape. Severus wasn’t sure about their survival, or that of the Betas who had not been drawn into the violence directly, but he did know none of them could have escaped the fray completely unscathed. It had been... The nightmares from that day would last him many years, he was certain of it.

 

Taking a deep breath and focusing to clear his mind, Severus rubbed his eyes and asked (though he did not truly want the answer) the necessary question, “None of the Omegas here have shown any signs yet?”

 

“No, but it is only a matter of time if it is already cropping up randomly in the general population. We’ve kept the designation separated but both groups are resisting our efforts.” Albus said, looking every inch his age before he stiffened his shoulders, “Some more so than others. It appears there is a connection between certain individuals that even segregation could not prevent. It may become necessary to expose them to each other in order to ascertain how to proceed once the heats begin to strike, but I cannot be certain that contact isn’t what triggers it in the first place. I’m hoping your research will delay the need for a decision until more is known. Perhaps develop a method of suppressing the symptoms or alleviating them after onset.”

 

Severus nodded but wasn’t optimistic, “I will do what I can. What is being done with the students?”

 

“I’ve been overseeing Defence Classes myself for the Alphas. Minerva has been overseeing the Omegas. We don’t really have the time but we have managed to juggle it between us. Everything being taught so far has been theoretical, no practical lessons have been – or will be – attempted until we have a better idea of how drastically magic has been affected here. Horace is still sedated and Hagrid has been otherwise occupied so we’ve cancelled Potions and Care of Magical Creatures. Herbology is also on hold, for the Alphas at least, Pomona’s designation has proven challenging to overcome. We can’t afford to halt any other core courses or the seventh years won’t be able to catch up later unless it proves necessary to completely overhaul the curriculum. Something I think it would be wise to avoid unless absolutely necessary,” Albus clasped his hand over his stump, leaned his chin on his knuckles, and peered into the fire, “Its imperative to maintain normalcy wherever possible.”

 

Severus just snorted, amused despite himself, “The world as we know it is over and you are concerned about the course load?”

 

“We have quite enough to adjust to without destroying even the illusion of responsible authority, particularly when that authority is proving so difficult to enforce. The students need the regimented schedule and distraction of lessons. The teachers need the opportunity to practice reinforcing their control. And it provides us all an opportunity to develop protocols of interaction that can be shared where they are successful. Speaking of protocols,” The Headmaster smiled wryly, “I have had to put several of the older Alphas in their place on several occasions, _unequivocally in their place_ , you do fully understand what it is you will be accepting responsibility for when you emerge from hiding?”

 

Severus rolled his eyes. He had been Slytherin's Head of House for long enough to know _precisely_ what it was he would be dealing with. Thank Merlin himself he wasn't being asked to deal with the Gryffindor Alphas, at least not yet anyway, “Indeed. The protocols you allude to are included in the documents you provided I assume?”

 

“Yes. All necessary force required to subdue Alpha aggression in defence of unbonded non-Alpha citizens is acceptable until the crisis is contained. As there are no bonded individuals at the school as yet the exceptions therein are not relevant but that may change so familiarize yourself in any case. I will keep an ear out for any changes in the legislature, but I don’t imagine you’ll need to mount a defence for anything you do so long as nobody dies. You can manage that, I’m sure.” Albus needed his Slytherin Head of House back almost as much as he needed a DADA professor. But most of all, he needed a competent Alpha he could trust to take control so that he could focus his attentions more completely elsewhere. It was swiftly becoming clear that this curse would not allow them to ignore what they had become, “If the Slytherin students cannot be controlled, it won’t be long before others begin to question the status quo. I’m counting on you, Severus.”

 

“I’m quite certain I can manage what you require, but I must be certain you mean what you said about my status.” Severus hesitated, this was a monumental decision and ran contrary to all their plans so far. He found it hard to believe Albus was so willing to give up their only insight into Voldemort’s movements, even if it was more likely than not returning would mean his death, “If I reveal myself I will not be able to rescind it later and I do not believe I will be able to do as you ask unless I am clear about where I truly stand.”

 

“I am certain. Your time in the shadows is done, Severus. If we do not expose Harry to unconscionable risk your loyalties will be exposed for certain. And even were I willing to take that risk, we cannot be sure how the new sensory processing and instinctual drives of the transformation will affect you or Voldemort in the coming days. There is too much that can go wrong and too little that will serve us for you to risk remaining a spy. You can do nothing else among Voldemort’s followers except die. It is decided and cannot be undone.”

 

“As you command.” Severus’ reply was sharp but genuine all the same. He would never admit to the profound relief he felt at that moment, would never reveal such weakness even to Albus, or perhaps especially to Albus all things considered. But in truth, the double life had worn him down. Severus had spent so long pretending to be someone else that even _he_ had begun to wonder who he really was beneath all of the masks. To be free of them at last... it was a blessing.

 

“I will see you in the morning for breakfast then, my boy?” Albus queried with another raised eyebrow, eyes twinkling once more. He smiled and rose when Severus nodded his agreement and breezed back out through the wards, calling, “Excellent! I am off to bed! Goodnight!”

 

Severus was left with his tea and his thoughts and a great deal less weight on his shoulders than he had carried before, though they were by no means free of burdens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about my world building or you think something needs clarifying let me know! If it isn't plot pivotal later I'll add it to my notes (like this one) or work it in somewhere else. I'm suffering from too many details syndrome and I'm trying to reign it in so the dialogue gets less blocky as we move on!


	5. 4 - He Who Serves in Heaven, Rules in Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t own, don’t sue!
> 
> For those of you wondering the Sev/Harry bit is coming soon I promise but I had to establish a few things before then! Sorry it’s taking so long! I’m gonna post chapters as fast as possible so we can get to the good stuff!

Chapter Four:

 

He Who Serves in Heaven, Rules in Hell

 

Severus had not given himself time to truly contemplate how much things had changed for him since he was cursed. He had been entirely too preoccupied with his guilt over its consequences for everyone else and his culpability for its dissemination.  
  
Having been relieved of the greater part of his assumed responsibility left him feeling a strange combination of foolish and betrayed. Foolish, because he had taken regrettable actions for which he _should_ feel guilt in response to guilt that was not his to bear. And betrayed, because his ability to consider circumstances logically and unemotionally, to utilize facts more than feelings to ascertain complex truths and therefore take effective action to protect his interests had utterly failed him in this case.  
  
It was a failure he had fallen prey to only a scant few times in his life and *every* time he had done so the repercussions had far reaching consequences. His dismissal of his friendship with Lily in a fit of humiliated self-loathing. His assimilation into a terrorist group in a fog of depression and misplaced hero worship. His divulging of the Prophecy that had ultimately led to his former friend’s death while consumed by pain and fear... All driven by emotion, without thought or consideration.   
  
But most devastatingly, perhaps, his complete alienation of his only hope at absolution because he couldn’t bear the combination of shame and vengeful fury that very nearly choked him every time he was forced to endure the Boy Who Lived’s presence.  
  
Because it was his pleading that had given Lily’s death the power to protect the boy. Because he could not spew the necessary vitriol and look into those condemning green eyes without imagining Lily’s censure. Yet without them, all he saw was James Potter’s smug smile as he dangled... Maybe at first but Severus had been wronged more viciously by many others since his school days. Even he, as vindictive as he could be, found it impossible to hang onto the Marauders attacks after all he had witnessed in the years that followed under the Dark Lord’s reign.  
  
He knew better than to try and justify his actions by shifting the blame. The truth was that he clung to it most desperately because he had seen that foolish, brave, indomitable young man offer mercy more than once when it was undeserved. For all that Harry Potter was a bane on both his conscience and his pride, Severus _knew_ if he told the boy the truth, that he did not truly hate him... Potter would understand.  
  
And that was the crux of it, really. He had sworn an oath to protect the boy, an oath that was best served by pretending to hate him, but he could not allow it to become just pretense because some part of him believed he did not deserve forgiveness and since Harry Potter was, ostensibly, the only one even remotely capable of offering it, Severus felt the need to make certain he never did.  
  
It was a convoluted self-destructive cycle that did not serve his purposes and yet Severus had never even noticed he was doing it, not really, at least not until now when the illusion of dislike was no longer necessary and he was faced with the possibility of changing the status quo.  
  
The Dark Lord must already suspect his loyalties were not entirely as steadfast as Severus had always claimed. Severus had not fallen in line as the others had done once the Dark Lord transitioned.  
  
It seemed to Severus, in hindsight, that the curse reinforced the established hierarchy, something in the magic ensured that those who were truly loyal were compelled to display it in subtle ways. Severus, quite frankly, had experienced the opposite. He had felt compelled to rebel, to challenge the Dark Lord’s authority, to claim the space they had shared as his own.  
  
He had felt his magic reaching out to attempt just that before a timely attack by one of his fellows had drawn his focus back to the physical conflict raging around him. And then his injuries had allowed him enough clarity to make his escape before he did something fatally foolhardy but it had been a near thing. There was a very real possibility that the Dark Lord had scented Severus’ disgust and aggression before he made his escape.  
  
If that were so... Severus drew back his sleeve and examined the Dark Mark. The cursed tattoo that bound him to the Dark Lord felt strangely inert ever since he had awakened from the magically induced coma Poppy used to speed his recovery. It almost felt as if it were a rope that had been cut on one end and lay slack, dragging at the point were it attached to him but with no real resistance. He wondered, not for the first time, if perhaps the curse had damaged it in some way. But that seemed too overly simplified and optimistic an idea to cling to without definitive evidence. After all, he had been searching for a way to break free of that Mark for the better part of his adult life, for it to happen by _accident_ well... that smacked too near miraculous for Severus to give it any credit.  
  
If it was not broken, but merely dormant, Severus would be better served to consider possible methods of shielding himself from its power.  
  
He considered several possibilities and discarded them before retrieving a silver cuff bracelet Lily had given him for Christmas in fourth year. He had not touched the thing in almost twenty years but knew, even without the protective wards already woven into it, a gift from someone who had genuinely wished him well, would better hold the wards he needed if the Mark were ever activated again. And Severus had little doubt that it _would_ be activated again if such an activation proved possible.  
  
As soon as the Dark Lord was certain Severus had betrayed him, his retribution would be swift and demonstrative. With Albus relieving him of his duties as a double agent, Severus was fairly certain the Dark Lord would not remain ignorant of the truth for long. In fact, given the visceral response of his magic in the Dark Lord’s presence and his instinctual responses around other members of the school staff... Severus suspected he would feel compelled to establish his true position unequivocally.  
  
Something about the nature of his cursed magic and instincts seemed aggressively inflexible, particularly as it applied to any possibility of subterfuge. He had been able to ascertain the feelings of others on several occasions simply by scent alone and knew it was just as likely they were scenting him in return. Albus had been wise to conclude he would not be able to return to the Dark Lord’s Circle. And there was still so much they didn’t understand. Especially in relation to their magic.  
  
When Severus had attempted to utilize subtle wards that tricked the mind, misdirecting possible visitors rather than simply blocking them out completely, they had failed entirely. His second attempt had left him with the magical equivalent of shouting ‘Go Away!’ - something that, while effective on students, had proven both useless and overly revealing to Albus who outranked him.  
  
And wasn’t that just fascinating, Severus mused, that even thinking of Albus - arguably one of the most powerful wizards in the world but contemporarily and historically - caused his hackles to rise and his magic to awaken independently much as it had in the Dark Lord’s presence. It would seem, in his transformed state, Severus could not so easily accept his own position in the established hierarchy of power. Something inside him, perhaps the part of him that his guilt had tried to crush into submission so long ago, knew he was strong enough to be a leader in his own right and his instincts, new and unfamiliar though they were, made certain he did not sacrifice that potential until... he wasn’t sure. Something inside him told him to wait. Not to bow down. Not yet.  
  
He shook away that flight of fancy and began working the wards he would need into the cuff. It was slow going, his magic was sluggish in an unfamiliar way. He sent a vicious combusting hex at a piece of kindling too far from the coals to burn and nearly jumped out of his skin when it vaporized in a flash of white hot heat. That was deeply disconcerting. It should not have...  
  
Casting several different spells in succession, Severus began to notice a trend. His ability to cast aggressive and destructive magic seemed greatly improved but his ability to influence the state of matter without damaging it was greatly reduced. He could smash an object into the air but struggled to lift it gently. He could obliterate a vase with ease until it was naught but powder but could not transfigure it back into its original form. His protective wards on his rooms had been easily set to repel intruders but those he sought to work as a defence against pain in the cuff were harder to graft in place. He had never considered the possibility that more than his physical self would be so fundamentally altered and he should have done. It followed quite logically, being magical in nature, that the curse would have magical effects as well as physical and psychological ones.  
  
He finished his warding and slid on the cuff, then he gathered the notes and collection of missives Albus had brought to him. He would have to read it all and then reorganize each document into relevant patterns for further consideration. It would not due to miss anything else. After spending so long in self-imposed exile, he could ill afford anymore selective blindness.

 

\------

 

Early the next morning, Severus rose with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. He dressed, as usual, in high-necked black teaching robes and paused for a moment to consider the events of the previous night after the Headmaster had left his rooms.

 

He had spent a goodly amount of time immersed in the documentation Albus had left with him and had been equal parts horrified and intrigued by what he had discovered there. The Ministry was barely functional and travel restrictions were keeping the population mostly under control but after a fortnight those impediments were beginning to chafe and rumour was getting ahead of official disclosure. It didn’t help that the laws did not allow for much of a gag order on the press and those closeted at the Daily Prophet Headquarters had little to do with themselves other than speculate to the world at large. Still, that was not the largest problem.

 

Severus had found that St. Mungo’s, being one of the foremost medimagic facilities in the world, was proving as capable as always. They had discovered quite a bit about the curse’s effects in a short span of time – thanks in part no doubt to Albus’ prior knowledge and direction – but those discoveries were not all good ones. There was no cure and likely would not be one developed quickly and theoretically, once procreation (which was inherent to the change) began the transformation would not be the classification for infected individuals, it would be an innate state. In other words, the next generation would be a new species of wizard entirely. It made very little practical difference but would surely provide an endless mess of problems with the reinstatement of the governing body and establishment of new legislation.

 

Foreign governments were not disclosing their own discoveries or findings, nor were they releasing any information on the protocols being instated over seas and on the continent. It would likely become necessary to involve the International Confederation at some point and it had been nearly a century since that governing body had been called on to do anything other than review global governing policies. With the Confederation’s positional appointment being magically inherent, there was a very real possibility that Albus would end up facing the Dark Lord himself at any gathering that was called and _that_ posed no end of potential problems.

 

The far reaching effects were rippling outward like a stone thrown in a pond and there was no telling how long it would take for things to settle. Add to that the disturbances to magic itself, which was foundational in any wizarding government and you had a storm of biblical proportions raging on the horizon.

 

Severus was thankful he would not be called upon to act personally upon the stage of global politics. In all his youthful years of craving power, he had never imagined the weight of responsibility that might come with the kind of acclaim greater wizards such as Albus possessed. His primary concern had always been about protecting himself from those who sought to discriminate against him for his impoverished upbringing or lack of physical charms, to seek recognition for his achievements on their own merit free of the prejudice that was intrinsic to the house system and blood purity. It was the height of irony that he had ended up getting the opposite of what he was seeking and had ended up paying for it by becoming entrenched on the wrong side of a war that only further undermined what he’d been looking for to begin with. But that sort of maudlin self-pity served him not at all in the current circumstances, so he cast it aside in favour of considering how best to proceed now.

 

As he strode swiftly from his private quarters to the Slytherin Alpha dormitory, he pondered the best method of achieving Albus’ goals here at the school. He would need to tread carefully, young wizards were volatile creatures at the best of times and adding in the cocktail of hormones and instincts now plaguing them as well as the altered state of magic... it was likely that they were fit to be muzzled by now having been left to their own devices so long. They would need a firm hand, but not too firm, Severus had no desire to see the backbone stamped out of them either. There was no telling what role the older students would be called upon to play as events proceeded and Albus was right about the state of politics as well, they _were_ at war on a scale never before seen. Historically, in cases such as these, where the world order was being rearranged and power shifted drastically between players, the young were often accepted as volunteers and conscripted where they did not offer service willingly. Severus would not be surprised if that proved the case here and if so he would see them protected as much as possible if he could. Merlin only knew they’d be so much fodder to be fed to the wands of the Dark Lord’s enemies if he couldn’t.

 

The master passwords had been changed but Albus had included it with the scroll he provided last night. Severus had the slip of paper in his robes but did not need to consult it – his memory had, by necessity, always been good. Therefore, he found himself through the indistinguishable section of bare wall that served as the Slytherin dormitory entryway and marching swiftly down into the Common Room without delay.

 

The explosive tensions among the Dark Lord’s inner circle had clearly displayed the kind of catastrophe inherent in allowing these powerful instincts to run wild. It was clear that there was little defence against them, even for those men and women who had spent a lifetime perfecting their public face whilst engaging in the worst depravities imaginable undiscovered.

 

A single Omega had sent the Dark Lord’s Death Eaters into madness and mindless violence. Here at the school there were dozens of Omegas. The scent of them was everywhere in the corridors and public areas, though the staff had done what they could to keep interactions to a minimum they could not erase the Omega presence from the school entirely. Even here, walking a path that led to segregated sleeping quarters and common areas, there was a sense of their proximity. Severus couldn’t scent them exactly but he could _feel_ them nearby. Could, if he were not cautious, focus on that sense and locate them easily. For the young Alphas, if they were strong enough, the need to follow that call could be as powerful as a Siren’s Song.

 

Severus had few illusions about his strengths and weaknesses. He knew he would never be well liked or draw vapid admirers as Lucius and Black had done in their school days, but he was clever and controlled. Had made it a point to be so. He had dedicated the better part of his life to the cultivation of his own mind and even _he_ could not completely ignore the pull of the Omegas in the castle. It nagged at the edges of his thoughts like a mosquito in the night he could not find to swat. If it ground against the hard edge of his instincts it would doubtless be exponentially worse for the young Alphas that lacked his discipline.

 

Add to that the fact that current arrangements kept them all in close quarters... It had been hard to accept even Albus, a man Severus openly recognized as his superior, into his private quarters. The instinct to drive all potential competitors from his personal space had rubbed him entirely the wrong way all the way through his meeting with the older man and he hadn’t even realized it was making him irritable until Albus left! The Alpha dormitories were no doubt worse in that regard. Put simply, the potent mix of conflicting instincts in the room he was about to enter was bound to be incendiary at best. He would need to handle this carefully with the utmost control...

 

Severus had barely cleared the passage and entered the Common Room proper when a body slammed into the wall beside him. He drew his wand swiftly and pivoted to face this new threat in a reflexive movement instilled over many years as both Death Eater and spy. The scent of aggression roared in his veins and woke his own as inevitably as the tide rolling into shore.

 

When he scanned the room and took in the shattered furnishings and scattered debris liberally coating the tattered robes of the Alphas rolling and clawing at one another all his logical thinking flew from his head and he snarled viciously, “What in Merlin’s name do you think you imbeciles are doing?”

 

Draco Malfoy rose from his crouch on top of Silas Wisteria, claws stained red and lip swollen. His silver-grey eyes were dilated and he settled into an openly aggressive stance as he faced his old head of House, “You!”

 

“Yes, I. Pleasant as it may be to find you capable of simple observation, I cannot say I am equally pleased to be capable of the same at the moment. The Headmaster told me my former House had descended into savagery but I did not entirely believe him. Of the Gryffindor lot perhaps but of my Serpents?” Severus flicked his wand and Draco was blasted backward and pinned to the stone wall. When Silas made as if to rise, a quick spell had him pinned just as completely to the floor. All around the room small scuffles separated and the combatants hesitated, vacillating between aggression and flight. Severus did not give them time to decide, he trussed them up as well, “I would ask for an explanation but we all are well aware of how I despise repeating myself, are we not?”

 

“I... I don’t know.” Silas whispered, raising his chin.

 

It should have looked defiant but to Severus’ newly awakened senses it was not. He could recognize the subtle submission in the act, the baring of one’s vulnerable throat to a potentially deadly assailant spoke of complete surrender. The boy also had his hands turned palm outward at his side on the floor, leaving his belly unprotected. It soothed Severus’ agitated nerves. The others in the room took similar poses, where their bonds allowed, and Severus felt himself calming further. His magic reached out unconsciously and coiled about the occupants of the room. Some, he sensed, could be bound to him with little effort and the urge to do so was strong. He fought it back and considered, instead, those he sensed would be more difficult. Draco Malfoy would prove difficult, Severus was certain, but Vincent Crabbe, Greggory Goyle, and Millicent Bulstrode nagged at his senses with more strength than their ringleader. He could _feel_ Draco resisting the reach of his magic, resisting his control, but he could not touch those three at all. To his magic, it was as if they were shielded somehow...

 

And then he realized that they _were_ shielded because the new power he reached out with now, the power he had awakened with after the change, was innate to Alphas and thus not unique to Severus himself but to his designation. Which meant another Alpha had already laid claim to them and it was not hard to guess whom. Draco Malfoy would not have been cautioned against conceding to his instincts when it came to binding his allies and even if he had been, Severus doubted any argument offered would have been enough to prevent him from taking any advantage he could. It would appear that Albus had been even more astute in his appraisal of the threat Draco posed than Severus had thought.

 

His understanding of the situation should have made Severus more calm, should have allowed him to plan accordingly, but it enraged him further instead. He told himself it was simply his instincts riling in response to the threat of another dominant in territory he considered his own but it did not help much, his control was now very thinly held. He made a mental note not to engage the Headmaster in emotional conversations down in the dungeons any time soon.

 

Severus kept his silence for a long moment, eyeing each of his students in turn. Even bound, they were visibly calmer now than they had been – with the exception of Malfoy et al. Clearly, they had no idea what was driving them and couldn’t control themselves without help. That was likely why hierarchy was proving so necessary, the instincts that drove them to violence were seeking boundaries and the new magic was flaring wildly in response, searching for an anchor to tie them down or reaching to tie the weaker down in turn.

 

The state of emergency and air of crisis clearly were fanning the flames as well, and the Headmaster had been right about maintaining normalcy and reinforcing authority as well hadn’t he? His students couldn’t be blamed for their confusion. Especially here in the dungeons where allegiances were so nebulous. Without a clearly defined chain of command the urge to form one would not abate. Until Severus, clearly more dominant, had arrived they had not been able to regain control. Severus felt twice the fool now for hiding away so long.

 

Draco, however, was not following the example of his fellow students. His body conveyed no submission even as he was held helpless against the wall. Instead he shook with suppressed rage and his eyes burned with a hunger to hurt something.

 

Severus approached him with feline grace and growled, “Scrabbling like stray dogs over rotting meat! Slytherin has always claimed to house only the most clever and ambitious, those who see an obstacle and manipulate it to serve their purposes rather than barrelling in and hoping brute strength will win the day! The entire world as we have known it is being reshaped and here you stand snapping and snarling at one another like animals! It is a disgrace!”

 

“What are you going to do about it, _professor?_ ” Draco sneered, “Give me detention?”

 

“I have neither the time nor the inclination to waste on such things, Mr. Malfoy. There are more pressing concerns in the world just now, or hadn’t you realized? Instead of making yourself a nuisance to those who may be your only hope of survival perhaps you should begin to consider aligning your loyalties where your own interests are better served, hmmm?” Severus arched one eyebrow, “Or did the curse take your good sense as well as your self control?”

 

“As if I would ever listen to _you!”_

 

“You will find, Mr. Malfoy, that you will. By the rules of the old world as well as those being established in the new, my word is law, at least here in the dungeons. If you do not like it you may complain to the Headmaster or you may leave the school, but you _will_ obey otherwise or I will see to it your attitude is adjusted appropriately. The Headmaster has already assured me he has little time for your bad attitude and considering the political climate outside the school I do not think you would find the accommodations available to you as comfortable as those you have enjoyed previously.” Severus replied cooly. He straightened his sleeves and ignored Draco in favour of eyeing the others in the room.

 

He was careful, watching without giving them any indication that their responses were being judged. They were, to a one, watching him openly. Each student maintained their position of submission but the scent of them was still a mixed bag. Draco’s aggression was keeping them on edge. Some, like Silas, smelled of capitulation, but the rest could tip from submission to challenge in less than a second with the slightest inspiration and Severus doubted it would take much more than a common enemy for Draco’s magic to gobble up more subordinates. He would have to ensure this first lesson was crystal clear before moving on to more complex ones. Establish complete dominance and control before migrating into the realm of politics and future plans.

 

Severus would not have his authority questioned and the best way to drive _that_ point home was to unequivocally flatten the most powerful challenger. He turned black eyes on Draco Malfoy and smirked, gesturing lazily with his wand toward Silas still pinned to the floor. The Slytherin seventh year was levitated over to the rest of the students watching from the wings, leaving a clear area for Severus to deal with Draco’s rebellion.

 

“I will start by putting you in your place and will continue to do so until you recognize it. The Board of Governors cannot help you escape punishment now, Mr. Malfoy. We are in a state of emergency and social niceties have no place here. Nor will your assumption of our shared _allegiances_ buy you mercy at my hand. Not in this school and not out there where the ink is not yet dry on the laws being written. The pockets your father lined to prop up the family name are no longer holding the quills either since the Ministry began restructuring. If you challenge me it will be under your own power, alone and unsupported.”

 

Waiting a moment, making certain Draco understood, Severus took two steps back and then released the spell.

 

Draco did not hesitate, as soon as he was released he lunged.

 

Severus did not bother with magic this time, he merely wrapped one hand around Draco’s throat and used the younger man’s momentum to drive him into the floor. Shifting his grip from throat to the arm that swung at him, Severus twisted the clawed limb around and back, until Draco lay face first on the stone with his wrist behind his opposing shoulder, “Now, now, Mr. Malfoy, if you continue to struggle I will be forced to twist harder and I’m quite certain your shoulder joint will not thank you for liberating it from its natural position.”

 

“You’ll be fired for this!” Draco hissed, “Teachers aren’t allowed-”

 

Severus smiled darkly, though Draco could not see it. He had learned a great deal last night when he reviewed the documents Albus had sent him. First and foremost, was the emergency legal provision relating to ‘necessary force’ in subduing ‘feral Alphas’. He cast a look around the room, “As I keep telling you, Mr. Malfoy, the world is changing. When I arrived here you were assaulting a fellow student. Had, in fact, drawn blood in the exchange of blows. You then proceeded to attempt to assault me, a member of staff, in front of numerous witnesses. According to the old laws you would be facing expulsion and possible imprisonment. Luckily for you, or unluckily as the case may prove, the new laws pertaining to Alphas differ greatly from those applied to students in the past. I could _remove the threat_ to my other students and face no consequences whatsoever. There has been quite a few such tragedies across the country in recent days. While your death would be found... regrettable, it would not incur punishment. Were I not in possession of an overabundance of conscience, you would be dead already and I on my way to breakfast none the worse for wear.”

 

“Conscience?! Liar!” Draco spat, growling as he struggled even harder, “Traitor! Murderer! I’ll rip you apart like you did my father!”

 

“You impudent, foolish little boy! Murderer? Traitor? Liar? As if you were capable of recognizing any of these things even as you stare them in the face!” Severus snarled back, his tone dripping contempt, “What proof have you that wasn’t spoon fed to you by those with agendas of their own. Who do you trust so dearly that they can speak against me with impunity? Not your mother, certainly, since she cannot send messages from the safehouse the Headmaster had her moved to. At _my_ recommendation no less.”

 

There was no room for gentleness or pity here, Draco would never have accepted it before the change and now... now Severus could ill afford even the slightest illusion of weakness. All of Slytherin’s Alpha’s were watching. The resolution to this conflict would set the stage for what was to come, for who would hold sway over them all. And it was not a contest so simple as student vs teacher.

 

Slytherin house had never openly acknowledged Severus Snape’s association with the Dark Lord but it had not been secret either. Too many of the students had parents and siblings who knew enough for none of them to suspect. So there were whispers, and he had been unable to silence them.

 

He owed a blood debt to his House for failing to protect them all these years as he played the part of loyal Death Eater in order to remain a spy. For too long he had stood by when he yearned to guide these children from the fate that had befallen him. For too many years he had let them be led from bright futures into darkness. But he was not required to keep that facade anymore.

 

And as he considered it, he realized it was necessary for more reasons than he had initially thought while conversing with Albus. This war had gained a new dimension when the Dark Lord released his curse upon the world. _The World_. Up until now this war had been localized, the Dark Lord was an undeniable threat to everyone certainly, but he was also one that had concentrated his acts of terror to a small geographical area. He wasn’t an ephemeral nightmare anymore, he had touched the lives of every witch or wizard alive and would for generations to come. There was no longer room in the world right now for dubious loyalties and uncertain neutrality.

 

Severus would not allow the Dark Lord’s poison to spread in his dungeons anymore. _He_ would rule here. This was _his_ House. _His people/family/pack_. Something inside him pulsed with power and he felt that reaching magic condense and settle over the dungeons, spreading outward. It ended with an odd sensation of a lock snapping shut and suddenly those he had considered tying to him were bound, he had claimed them without meaning to. Sweet Circe have mercy, how was he going to explain this to the Headmaster?

 

Severus almost released his hold on Draco but managed to regain control before the blonde escaped his grasp. When he spoke, there was an odd timbre to his deep voice, it carried the weight of power, “These are my dungeons. You will do as I say when you are here. Accept it.”

 

And he would, Severus decided, he cared too deeply for his students to let them be cut down like so much chaff. Draco could accept it outright or bleed until convinced, but Severus would accept no less than complete control. He had no choice now, he had people he needed to protect. He was no longer an island unto himself.

 

Something about his line of thinking niggled at his sense of logic but Severus ignored it. His blood was pounding hot in his veins and it took all his concentration to say what needed said instead of digging his claws deeper, “I turned my back on the Dark Lord long ago and rightly so, wouldn’t you agree? After what he has done to you, done to us all? But I did not need his most recent act of inhumanity to make that choice, I’d have spat in his face before he was laid low by a mere baby if I hadn’t been commanded to keep my peace and watch, to bide my time and keep my eyes and ears open. For longer than most of you have been alive, I have watched. It does not surprise _me_ at all to find the Dark Lord has sent assassins at my back! You will neither be the last nor the most capable of them I’m sure.”

 

Draco was no longer struggling but instead lay tense and panting as Severus kept him pinned to the floor. He wasn’t convinced but he was listening. Severus wasn’t sure how he knew, it was more than just a wary flavour in his scent or the tension in his muscles... it was tied to that other sense, the one that had reached out and bound the other young Alpha’s beneath his power. Draco was not yet one of them, but Severus’ power was getting closer to breaching his defences.

 

“You spit ‘Traitor’ as if it would insult my pride. As if it should shame me.” He paused and cocked his head, sneering at Draco, squeezing ever so lightly before letting up, “Do you think the Dark Lord’s favour, his _grace,_ is some great loss? Your father was torn apart for that psychotic megalomaniac’s amusement then trod upon as the Dark Lord sought his next sick pleasure. And the loss of such a _loyal_ servant was no more deeply mourned than the muggle play things he feeds his familiar. Make no mistake, the Dark Lord knew exactly what would happen before he released this curse upon us all and warned no one, _protected_ _no one_.”

 

The room was silent, the crackle and pop of the wood in the fire seeming impossibly loud in the stillness. Severus kept his gaze locked on Draco’s profile pressed to the stone as he spoke now, drilling the truth home as best he could, “It would be enough of a betrayal had you simply been betrayed as you have been and abandoned to your fate but no! That was not nearly enough for your great Lord! No, he twisted your loss into a weapon against me, another supposedly _loyal_ _servant_. He had no true reason to question my allegiance until now. Thus I suggest you ask yourself this, Draco: whom do you believe he expected to have die when you sought your vengeance? For the Dark Lord witnessed _my_ change, saw what _I_ had become. I fought my freedom from his circle of rabid dogs and escaped to fight another day. Do you truly believe he expected you, a half-trained wizard, to best _me?_ ”

 

Draco swallowed hard beneath Severus and the rage on his face twisted to mix with dawning horror. He almost turned away to hide his profile against the stone floor, but he was not yet so cowed as all that.

 

Severus had seen it as soon as Draco spat his angry tirade across the room. He’d been set up. It wasn’t even that subtly done, being the second time the Dark Lord had sent the boy to face impossible odds. The Headmaster had outmanoeuvred the Dark Lord’s first attempt but the reptilian psychopath was nothing if not resourceful. Where Narcissa as a hostage had failed, Lucius as a goad would serve, and as such serve to squeeze one last use from Malfoy Sr.’s corpse.

 

It was a neat solution to several problems. If, by some miracle, Draco killed him, the question of Severus’ allegiance would never need plague the Dark Lord’s mind again. In the far more likely circumstance, that Severus killed Draco, the threat of the boy discovering the truth and seeking revenge later was eliminated. It would also have the fringe benefit of resulting in Severus, now a murderer of students, having little incentive to stray from the fold (regardless of legislative protections, Severus doubted the Gryffindor sentiments against murder would allow him to remain welcome among his colleagues if he truly became a killer). The third possibility, wherein Draco was captured in the act and not killed, Severus would be forced to turn him over to Voldemort for execution or be revealed a traitor in his mercy and the Dark Lord would know for certain either way.

 

Not for the first time since last night (or even in the last hour), Severus found himself overwhelmed with relief at Albus’ decision to release him from his double life. It would have galled him to have been forced into the open by the Dark Lord’s ham handed machinations.

 

“Do you not see, Draco, how the wind truly blows? The Dark Lord seeks power beyond measure, this is true,” Severus cast his gaze around the room and glared into the eyes of any who dared meet his own and was pleased to see them drop away swiftly, “But what he gains he _does not share!”_

 

Severus felt the last of the tension drop from Draco and his power slide through the young man as it had the others. When this connection settled it brought with it Draco’sfollowers. Strangely, the connection between himself and Draco seemed somehow more permanent than the other bonds he felt for having been won against resistance. That would likely require further consideration at a later date. Too little was understood about the magic he was working now for Severus to be entirely certain, but he did know that any order he gave at the moment would not be resisted nor would any other unless the connection he felt between himself and the students were broken. There had to be a more concrete way of securing those bonds, but how...

 

Not liking where his thoughts were going, Severus shook himself mentally and released the spell holding the Slytherin Alpha’s prisoner out of the way, “I have promised the Headmaster I would bring order back to the dungeons, I trust I have done so. But I offer a promise independent of that to all of you now: should you seek my protection I will provide it. You _will_ obey regardless but if it is not a reluctant allegiance I will stand between you and what is coming. Consider it well, I will not offer again.”

 

“Yes, Sir!” The chorus was not enthusiastic but it was echoed by all. Severus would take it for now.

 

Severus turned to Draco once again. He sensed that the fight had gone from the boy but he also knew that Draco was prone to plotting and petty revenge. He would not accept humiliation gracefully, not once he’d had time to think about it. He would seek some means of saving face unless Severus offered him the means directly and Albus had mentioned the need for leadership so long as someone held the boy’s leash.

 

“Allow me,” Severus offered his hand, his _wand hand_ , and waited to see if Draco would take it.

 

Unlike his father, Draco was not a complete fool. He took it and rose carefully, face flushing at the subtle message that the older man did not consider him threat enough to bother remaining armed but he did not attack. He smoothed his robes with trembling hands and kept his gaze lowered.

 

Severus felt along the bond tenuously in place for weakness and finding none, offered what measure of compensation for the lesson he’d driven home, “I expect you to see to it this area and the dormitories are restored to the pristine order they were in previous to this... unpleasantness. See to it that your dorm mates emulate your enthusiastic application to that undertaking and be ready to leave for breakfast shortly. I expect you to have no troubles, however, should anyone fail to meet my expectations you will inform me posthaste and I will see to it they find themselves engaging in suicidal idiocy somewhere the Headmaster need not concern himself with liabillities. Do I make myself clear?”

 

Or as clear as any Slytherin worth his salt should require. It was an olive branch and a punishment in one.

 

“Yes, Sir!” The Alpha students chorused once more.

 

Severus arched an eyebrow at Draco and the blonde nodded sharply and spun on his heel, “You heard the Professor! Get moving!’

 

Casting one cautious peek over his shoulder and receiving a nod of approval in return, Draco led by example.

 

Severus returned to the corridor, choosing to ignore several snarls and a pained yelp, which echoed down the corridor after him. He had established the pinnacle of the pyramid but if there was any hope of them functioning without his direct oversight they would need to settle the placement beneath it for themselves. There would be a time later to step in, there always was, but it was not now. He would allow Draco a chance, he owed the boy that much.

 


	6. 5 - Bound to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own, don't sue.
> 
> Ok, so a couple notes on this one. This is one of the places where I'm tying in prewritten and newly added stuff so if anything is repetitive please shoot me a note and I will correct. Also I remain unbeta'd so all mistakes are in fact my own idiocy, rank amateur that I am.
> 
> Aaaaaaand last but not least, I had a lot of problems with recovering this file after my computer spazzed out and the original version/fully edited version was corrupted. Hopefully it turned out ok!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Also beware of SLASH ahead!

“Morning Harry!” 

 

Harry woke in a tangle of limbs and curly brown hair. He couldn’t remember falling asleep but clearly neither Ron nor Hermione had left him alone. He could feel their even breathing in the warm torsos pressed to his sides. He fumbled Hermione’s hair out of his face and blinked sleepily up at the upside down face grinning down at him.

 

“Nev!” Like Ron, Neville had changed a great deal. All the roundness had drained from his face and form, though his jaw was more squared and masculine than any other Omega Harry had seen so far. He was not as petite as he or Ron had become, with broader shoulders and thicker arms, but having seen Seamus last night Harry knew Neville would still be dwarfed by the Alpha Males. The scent of herbs and crushed leaves with pleasant earthy undertones joined the pleasant smell of Ron and Hermione wrapped around him, soothing his nerves. Harry schooled his expression from shock to pleasure, he was glad to see his friend after all, “Erm... Hi!”

 

A squirming weight pounced on them and Harry grunted as both Hermione and Ron jerked and groaned. He caught a flash of scarlet and mischievous brown eyes before an elbow spiked his kidney, “Harry! You’re back!”

 

“Hey Gin,” She smelled of apples and cinnamon and she was squirming on top of them like a mad crup and Harry felt... nothing. Not even a hint of interest, even when hands delved onto his torso to pet and cuddle. Ron was right. His brain told him he should be embarrassed at the very least but her touch was as soothing and familial as Ron’s and Hermione’s had been. 

 

“Gerroff!” Ron grumbled, rolling further into Harry and shoving Ginny back onto the floor, “Sleeping!”

 

“It’s almost time for breakfast Ron!” Ginny chided, “And you lumps still need to get changed!”

 

Harry squirmed his way free and grinned as Ron wrapped around Hermione who was slower trying to get up. “Show me the loo, Nev?”

 

Hermione was still struggling to get free, the redhead had buried his face in her hair and was groaning his annoyance into the chestnut curls. Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione elbowed Ron and scampered free, “Lord!”

 

Ginny grinned, “He’s always been like that, turning Omega just made him more obvious. More tentacles than a Devil’s Snare, my brother.”

 

“Harry?” Neville nodded toward the stairs and Harry grinned, following him.

 

Showered, this time with less tears and self-obsessed groping, Harry dressed in a change of clothes Neville had left on the sink. There was a brief moment of embarrassment when Hermione and Lavender came in nude as the day they were born but when his body did nothing embarrassing and the girls ignored him completely, he shook his head and walked out. 

 

Ron grinned at him on his way, towel around his waist, “Told you it was weird.”

 

Harry snorted with aborted laughter, “How the hell did we end up here? Girls parading around in the buff and nobody interested in anything but how weird it is?”

 

“Merlin knows mate, but I’m not dropping my towel with them looking.” Ron replied with a flush on his cheeks, “They might not be interested interested but Hermione hasn’t met anything she doesn’t want to study backwards and forwards. She’s already grilled Pomfrey about the physiological differences between male and female Omegas. I don’t want to end up a case study for anyone if I can help it. For the first time ever I think I’d like to fade into the background, common as a garden gnome.”

 

“Welcome to my life,” Harry quipped with a raised eyebrow, “Glad you finally cottoned on.”

 

Ron rubbed the back of his head, abashed, “Yeah, figure I get it now for sure.... sorry...”

 

“No problem,” Harry replied and clapped Ron on the shoulder. His fingers lingered to squeeze comfortingly and Harry frowned at the continued impulse to touch and be touched. He didn’t even have to think about it, he just did it, and every time he did think about it he got all twisted. Like now. Dropping his hand away, Harry shrugged awkwardly, “Still not used to the touching thing.”

 

Ron looked confused and then realization dawned and he shrugged back, “Stop thinking about it so hard. That’s my method.”

 

Harry laughed and dressed quickly before he went downstairs to sit with Neville and Ginny while Ron and Hermione showered.

 

“So what happened to you anyway Harry?” Ginny draped herself around Neville unselfconsciously, “You’ve been in the isolation ward for ages.” 

 

“I dunno. Some interaction with another curse or something. From back with y’know...” Harry pointed at his scar.

 

Neville poked Ginny in the side, “Don’t be nosy. Harry has enough to worry about. Don’t you remember how it was the first few days?”

 

“Sorry. Nev’s right. It was pretty stressful. But they have things much better organized now. We haven’t crossed paths with any of the Alphas in almost a week. Not that I think that’s a good thing all the time,” Ginny’s apple cinnamon scent went hot and sweet, for the first time an Omega’s scent nauseated Harry, “I haven’t seen Dean since that first day.”

 

“Ugh! What is that-?” Harry pinched his nose and looked at Neville who was doing the same, “Is that you Gin?”

 

Ginny flushed and her scent went bitter but less cloying, “Sorry. I don’t know why that keeps happening...”

 

“That’s why no one worried about the new dorm organization,” Neville said softly, “Gran was up in arms about it at first but the mediwizards have released the information to any parents that got worried. The smell of... well... it’s not appealing between Alphas and Omegas of the same classification. Betas don’t have the same issues apparently, so they are all tagged with monitoring spells.”

 

“That would be embarrassing,” Harry muttered. He would hate to be under supervision all the time like that, even if it was just a spell. He grilled Ginny and Neville for more information while they waited but no one had much to add except break downs on how classes were being carried out and some rumours about more deaths both locally and on the continent. The more Harry learned about what had happened, the more angry he felt. Voldemort had always been a shadow over his life but this... it made Harry’s blood boil and his stomach churn with guilt and fear knowing that he was supposed to be the one to stop him. How was he ever going to manage it now?

 

“Stop stressing Harry,” Hermione pulled him up from the sofa when two Beta seventh years appeared in the entry, “One day at a time ok?”

 

“Yeah.” He sighed, but he forced himself to stop obsessing and let his feet follow her down out of the common room, only half listening as Ron and the others joked and gossiped. 

 

The trip down to the Great Hall was uneventful but just as awkward as it had been the night before, more so probably because the corridors were no longer empty. Beta students and the younger years wandered in groups while ghosts floated by calling out greetings. Harry waved uncomfortably at familiar faces that openly gawked as he went by, soaking in the spectacle of Harry Potter. 

 

When the fourth person did a double take and stopped to stare, Harry tugged on Hermione’s sleeve, “I thought every one was used to the change now. Why are so many people staring?”

 

“Oh! Well... I guess all the people who weren’t with us in the beginning figured you’d be an Alpha and the ones that were with us figured you were a Beta that got hurt or sick. Dumbledore’s been keeping your status pretty hush hush,” Hermione whispered, “What with You Know Who and the Death Eaters being mostly Alpha. He’s been spotted a couple times, him and his followers, they’ve been hunting Omegas. No one knows what for.”

 

Harry felt his blood turn to ice and he stumbled. He slowed a bit holding Hermione back, “Have you run into any Alphas since the change Hermione? Did you... did it make you feel...?”

 

“Yeah.” She nodded weakly and avoided his eyes, “There is something about the way they smell, it makes everything spinny. And when they growl... it’s like my bones went to liquid. Millicent Bulstrode told me to kneel and I almost did, if Professor McGonagall hadn’t chased her off, I would have.”

 

“Merlin! And Voldemort is one of them?” Harry was sweating and shaking as they sped back up to stay with the group, “What am I going to do?”

 

“We’ll figure it out, Harry. This is all so new, there is so much we don’t understand, but Professor Dumbledore is an Alpha too and he won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll come up with a plan, just give it some time.”

 

“But the Prophecy..”

 

“Means you must be able to do it, so there will be a way,” Hermione reassured him, voice earnest, “If there wasn’t it wouldn’t exist. We’ll figure this out Harry. Together.”

 

“Thanks.” Harry muttered back. He was still afraid but he knew he had to stop thinking about it, at least until after breakfast or he wouldn’t be able to eat anything. 

 

They entered the Great Hall in a group and Harry froze a half step past the doors. The scent of Alphas was everywhere in here. The world tilted dangerously and he grabbed Ron when he leaned over to ask Harry if he was ok, “Whoa...”

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. You get used to it, don’t even notice it in the corridors anymore, but the Alphas have breakfast first so it’s always stronger in here in the mornings. Just mind your step on the way to the table.”  Ron guided him over to his seat with a friendly arm tossed over his shoulder so no one would notice that hadn’t already.

 

Harry smiled gratefully and concentrated on eating when the plates filled in front of him. His stomach wasn’t really on board but Harry choked down a couple pieces of toast and then nursed his tea, looking around for the first time since entering. The House tables were predominantly occupied by females and younger students, only a few older boys scattered here and there with Hufflepuff and Gryffindor sporting the most. Harry spotted Colin and his brother Dennis at their own table and wondered if the younger of the two was cursed or too young for the change, from so far away he couldn’t tell. But Colin was an Omega for sure. He recognized Justin Finch-Fletchly in Hufflepuff and Blaise Zabini in Slytherin. Strangely, Slytherin had the smallest gathering of students, mostly younger years with only a handful of Omegas hidden among them. Their smaller size made them hard to spot so he wasn’t certain who they all were but he could tell they were few. 

 

Harry groaned in misery when he couldn’t locate a specific face at the Slytherin table, “Don’t tell me Malfoy...”

 

“Alpha.” Ron grumbled, “Crabbe and Goyle too. Slytherin has the most Alphas and Betas of any house. Most of the Alpha girls are from there too.”

 

“Hermione told me about Millicent. But Pansy’s sitting with Blaise, so some of them ended up in the same boat as us. D’you think they’ll be nicer now?” 

 

Ron snorted, “Yeah right, the curse didn’t transplant their personalities Harry.”

 

Hermione threw a crust of bread at him, “I think it’s mature of Harry to give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes these things shake up your world view. After all, you can’t say muggleborns aren’t just as magical as everybody else now, that curse affected us just as much as the pureblood. We’re all the same now.”

 

Harry nodded and glanced at the Head Table. Hagrid was sitting next to McGonagall, his bulk like a shield between the group of Omega professors and the rest of the table. Harry forced himself not to goggle at Professor Sprout, who appeared as if she were too young to be seated up there, and only briefly glanced at the others who appeared basically the same only slightly smaller, especially next to Hagrid’s towering frame. Harry’s old friend was not an Alpha but he was half giant and the curse couldn’t change that. 

 

Harry’s gaze drifted, pausing on McGonagall and Dumbledore who appeared far less frail than the last time Harry had seen him, though he was still missing a hand. Skimming over Madam Hooch to...

 

Bottomless onyx eyes swallowed him whole. Harry’s stomach flipped and his skin crawled with shivers. He felt like he was going to melt into his seat. What was happening to him?

 

“Harry! Ugh!” Ron thumped him and Harry jerked his gaze to his friend, his tea cup rattling as he put it down.

 

“What was that?!?”

 

“That was you pulling a Ginny and stinking up the place!” Ron groused, pushing his plate away, “There goes my appetite. What were you thinking about?”

 

“I wasn’t thinking about anything! I just looked at...” Harry almost swallowed his tongue. He shook his head, “I don’t know what happened.”

 

Ron eyed him dubiously, “Sure...”

 

“Shut up Ronald!” Ginny hissed, “You’ll get your own back eventually and then you’ll realize how much of an idiot you’re being. We can’t help it!”

 

“Sorry, mate.” Ron rubbed the back of his head again, “I shouldn’t have said anything...”

 

“Mr. Potter? If you would be so kind as to follow me?”

 

Harry glanced up at McGonagall in surprise. He hadn’t seen her coming over here. He pushed up out of his seat with a quick nod, “See you in class guys.”

 

The he scurried after her. He risked a quick over the shoulder glance just before they made it out the doors, but Snape was gone. What had happened in there? He and Snape had glared at each other across the Great Hall a thousand times. Why had he reacted like that? 

 

“Professor? Is... is Professor Snape an Alpha?” Harry hoped his voice was as nonchalant as he was aiming for. From the suspicion on McGonagalls face, he hadn’t managed it, “Like Professor Dumbledore I mean?”

 

“Yes. He is. Why do you ask?”

 

Harry flushed, feeling suddenly awkward, “No reason. Just curious. Everything is so...”

 

McGonagall’s grown smoothed, “I understand Mr. Potter, it takes some getting used to. But you have no need to fear. Both Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore have exemplary control, they have not been a threat to any Omega they’ve encountered so far. The staff has met as a group several times now without incident, though Professor Slughorn has yet to join us. He was injured in the initial outbreak, broke his leg in two places trying to... We’ll.. never mind that. Professor Dumbledore will be right with you, if you want to.. Oh! Severus! Are you alright?”

 

McGonagall tried to catch Harry’s arm but he was already moving too fast and all she did was knock him forward more quickly. 

 

Harry stumbled the last few steps out of the Entrance Hall as a scent more delicious than anything he had ever smelled rolled over him. He drew a deep breath through his nose and felt the rolling vibrations of a purr rumble up from his chest. His eyes fell shut against his will and he felt himself leaning toward the source of the smell. What was it? 

 

He blinked, feeling dizzy and weak, trying to center himself or organize his thoughts but he couldn’t. A low growl made his knees quiver and Harry shifted uneasily, something about that sound... He tried to catch his breath and stumbled again, his skin was beginning to itch and flush. Was it hot out here? Not this time of year surely? But he was beginning to sweat... 

 

“Mr. Potter. Back towards me slowly...” McGonnagal’s voice was barely a whisper but it shook with something Harry thought might be fear only he couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate.

 

Another low growl reached his ears and Harry quivered again, shifting as something warm and wet trickled down his leg. Had he wet himself? His hand slid down to check and found... Harry flushed, embarrassment clearing some of the disorientation. He was hard! But there was no wetness on the front of his trousers. He blinked again and turned to look for McGonagall but only made it half way before he caught sight of what had her so afraid.

 

Professor Snape stood just outside the doors to the left. He must have come out just before them and now he was focused entirely on Harry, dark eyes blazing, thin lips drawn back to expose sharp white incisors as he growled low and dangerous.

 

Harry felt another gush of wetness and his arse clenched violently his cheeks rubbing together slickly. Another wave of embarrassment rolled over him but it was fleeting because his gasp of surprise drew in another lungful of that delicious smell. 

 

“Harry!”

 

He couldn’t answer, couldn’t move, his muscles trembled violently and the dizziness rose again like a wave. Head spinning, he fell. But before he could hit the ground, strong arms caught him up and Harry purred again with delight as that scent became even stronger. He squirmed, keening, he needed closer. Needed more... Needed...

 

“Severus no!”

 

There was a loud snarl and the sound of curses flying. Harry didn’t think, he just reacted, and a shield surrounded him and the source of that heady addictive smell. He would not be kept from what he needed.

 

“Harry...” 

 

Pulling back, Harry gazed up at Professor Snape with dazed eyes. His skin felt too tight and he was so hot, “Please.... please.... help me....”

 

“I have you, little one,” Professor Snape growled low and soft, tilting Harry’s head to one side as he leaned forward. Harry felt his breath, warm and wet against the skin of his throat and keened desperately as his whole body shivered and yearned toward that warmth. Yes, this was what he needed. This was all he would ever need. His breath stuttered and his heart thundered. Sharp teeth sank into his flesh and a slick tongue laved the skin of his throat as heat exploded through his body like lava and darkness sucked him in.

 

\-----

 

Severus should have known better than to listen to Albus, but after sorting out the issues with the Alphas in his House that a quiet familiar morning among his fellow staff would soothe the hot aggression in his veins. And it had, for a time, but he had lingered too long. 

 

After the Alpha students left the Hall, Severus had nursed his tea, figuring it would do Draco and the others good to have some time to lick their wounds without him there rubbing his authority in their faces. None were truly injured in more than pride, but Severus could well remember being that age and knew the burn of humiliation was not quick to be soothed. By the time he finished his tea and sought to leave the Omegas were filing in and he decided it was better to wait for the Hall to fill than to test his control with a chance meeting in the corridors. Besides, he had wanted to reassure himself the Omegas in his House were well and there was no where else he could safely observe them.

 

Seeing his snakes talking and laughing had been a relief. But then an itch along his nerves dragged his gaze to the Gryffindor table and he found himself staring into deep green pools that seemed to suck him into their endless depths. 

 

Before he knew what was happening, Severus was on his feet striding around the corner of the Head Table. He froze. What was he doing? He couldn’t go down there! Hissing with barely contained rage at his lack of control, Severus changed directions, fleeing the Hall as swiftly as he could. He tore down the corridor and out of the main doors. Fresh air flowed into his lungs as he breathed deep.

 

Clenching his hands into fists and ignoring the way his claws dug into his palms, Severus leaned his head against the stone wall and searched for his control. He had never lost it so completely before! 

 

The door almost hit him as it swung open.

 

“Oh! Severus! Are you alright?” Severus jerked around as Minerva called out and a growl rolled out of him without thought.

 

A small figure with messy black hair stumbled past him and Severus felt the rest of the world drop away. He could smell tones of pine and morning dew and something thick and sweet like honey. His nostrils flared as he drew that scent deep into his nose and another low growl tore from his throat.

 

He felt heat pool in his groin, coiling like a snake prepared to strike. A soft, pleased purr reached his ears and the heat flared hotter. His legs took him forward a step.

 

“Mr. Potter. Back toward me slowly...”

 

Severus growled his rage, stepping forward again. Who thought to take his prize from him? The Omega was his! That honey sweet scent intensified and Severus felt hunger rise in him, demanding he take and claim and devour...

 

His lips drew back in a silent snarl and his muscles drew taut, preparing to leap forward if the Omega tried to run. It was all he could do to hold still, to keep from grabbing the small form and yanking it against him as the Omega leaned toward him and swayed on quivering legs. Severus drew another deep lungful of that scent. It was so good...

 

He watched the Omega’s face as the young man flushed and stiffened, one hand tracing down his belly to... Severus took another jerky step forward and froze when Harry turned his way with dazed green eyes, their pupils blown wide. He fought hard to hold back, to not take when every instinct was screaming that he close the distance. But when his Omega swayed and tumbled forward he could not stop himself, he lunged. The urge to protect momentarily clouding his conviction that he was the most immediate danger.

 

“Harry!” 

 

Severus barely registered Minerva’s cry of alarm or the new voice shouting, “Severus! No!”

 

His little Omega felt so warm and delicate in his arms and the small body rubbed and shivered against his larger frame delightfully. He felt the vibrations of his mate’s purr tingle up and down his spine like stroking fingers. It made his mouth water to taste. 

 

Severus felt Harry nuzzle against him and heard the soft desperate keening, it made the heat in his blood flare from a gentle warmth to an all consuming inferno. He snarled with need, not even registering the shouts or the flare of magic around them. He would claim his Omega, his mate, he would bind them so no one could touch what was his, “Harry...”

 

“Please... please... Help me...” His Omega begged so prettily. He would look so beautiful when Severus took him for his own, whimpering with pleasure as he sank deep...

 

“I have you, little one,” Severus replied softly, voice rough with need. He tilted his mate’s head to the side and lowered his mouth to the tantalizing flesh at the juncture of his throat. As his lips met flesh, his mouth flooded with saliva and his head spun with the mixture of his Omega’s sweet scent and the warm salty-sweet taste of his skin. He felt his fangs pierce flesh and his mouth filled with the warm essence of his mate’s blood. The logical part of Severus’ brain said the metallic taste should sicken him but it was pleasure in liquid form, like a mouthful of the concentrated scent dizzying his mind. He licked the flesh in his mouth with helpless hunger and hugged the small body tight against his chest as his little mate quivered and went limp. Severus’ nose filled with even more of that honey sweet scent and a new note, the musky tone of his little Omega’s spend. 

 

Severus grinned as his fangs released the flesh of his mate and he cuddled the tiny body tight against his own, breathing his scent deep, already it began to blend with his own. Severus would take his mate to his den, he would protect and care for him until his little Omega was ready to seal the bond and when he finished no one would ever challenge his claim. He scooped the smaller body into a better position for carrying and turned. 

 

Shock cleared the fog from Severus’ thoughts and he froze at the sight before him. Albus, Minerva, and Filius stood with wands drawn and grim faces. He wondered for a moment, seeing the cold anger staring at him, why he was not yet cursed upon the ground. What had he done to make them so angry? Was there danger? His thoughts were strangely hazy, “What..?”

 

“Put Harry down, Severus, and release the shield.”  Albus growled, his voice low and threatening. It set Severus’ hackles on edge threatening to bring back the haze, but the words penetrated and Severus felt his blood turn to ice.

 

He looked down at the small form tucked against his chest. Harry’s face was peaceful and slightly flushed where he nuzzled into Severus’ robes, green eyes closed. His arms were tucked between their bodies, delicate hands burrowed beneath Severus’ waistcoat to rest against his belly. Severus felt his throat go dry at the sight and licked his lips swallowing hints of his mate’s delicious blood. His beautiful Omega, he would not allow the other Alpha to touch him! He would kill before he allowed anyone to take his mate! Harry was HIS! 

 

Severus shivered and clutched Harry tighter. Albus was his mentor, his oldest friend. He wasn’t a threat! Merlin! What was wrong with him? Every time he thought his mind had cleared, something awoke the instincts raging in him and his thoughts scattered like smoke. 

 

“Please... “ He tore his eyes away from Harry, panting shallowly, and looked at Albus instead. He fought to organize his thoughts, searching for words to describe the cacophony of feelings inside his body, “I... fear my ability to control my actions is... inhibited by Harry’s proximity. I have not... I need... no other has affected me in this way. I do not think I can bring myself to relinquish him.”

 

Albus’ expression softened and he lowered his wand with a sigh, “Minerva? Filius? Clear a path to Severus’ quarters. Have Poppy meet us there.”

 

“Albus! You cannot mean to-!” Minerva hissed, horrified.

 

Albus raised one hand, expression stern, “We do not yet know the full implications of this curse, Minerva. We have both heard reports of this phenomena and seen evidence of it for ourselves. If I am correct about what this... connection means it will be dangerous to attempt to separate them now.”

 

“But surely-!”

 

“Headmaster?” Severus felt his toes come up against an invisible barrier as he tried to draw closer, despite the urge to flee to somewhere he could be alone with his precious burden. He tapped at it again with one booted foot and frowned, “I do not believe relocating is possible at this time.”

 

“The shield was not of your making?” Albus’ eyes narrowed, sharp as a hawk’s, “If not you...”

 

Minerva cast a blasting curse at the shield and watched her spell shatter into sparks. She cast another, stronger spell and stared as that too dissipated harmlessly. Her mouth fell open, “Harry made that? Wandlessly?”

 

Albus’ dark expression brightened visibly, “It appears our attempts to rescue him were not as welcome as we believed. Severus? Tell him to release the spell.”

 

“He is unconscious, Albus,” Severus replied, glaring at the other Alpha. His instincts were still threatening his clarity of mind. He didn’t react well to being told what to do, “He can not hear me.”

 

“I believe you will find you are mistaken, Severus.” Albus replied softly, “were he truly unconscious the spell would not still hold. I believe he is merely... overwhelmed by the bond. Speak to him. If I am correct he will respond only to you now.”

 

“Harry?” Severus looked down at the little Omega in his arms and gasped as he felt the smaller body shift tighter against him, “Harry?”

 

Green eyes blinked open and stared up at him. The pupils were still blown wide and a look of open desire flushed his face. The younger man keened softly and turned to nuzzle him again. The air filled with the scent of pine and honey.

 

Severus gasped and it took everything he had not to pin the younger man to the wall of the castle and seal the bond now. His mate needed him.

 

“Please....” Harry whimpered scrabbling at Severus’s belly, “Please Alpha!”

 

Severus recognized this now, he had seen it once before but it had not affected him the way it was affecting him now. When he’d seen that Omega witch in heat he had wanted to take her, but his mind had been empty. His thoughts were clouded now, but the need to protect and care for his Omega was strong enough to hold him back from acting on his desire. He fought the growl that wanted to rise up from his gut and swore softly as Harry writhed in his arms, shifting until his arms were wrapped around Severus’ neck and his legs around Severus’ waist. 

 

Harry clung to the older man, nuzzling under his chin and into his neck, “Please!”

 

“I will give you whatever you desire,” Severus whispered. And he would, whatever conflicted feelings he had once felt for this young man they were clear as glass now, Harry was his. His to claim and his to protect. He nuzzled Harry back and licked the wound on his throat, making the young wizard shiver and roll his hips against Severus’s belly with a broken moan, “I cannot do as you ask yet, my little one. Your barrier holds us here and we must seek our den.”

 

\-----

 

Harry waved one hand carelessly and the shield shrunk, becoming smaller and mobile. He did not want the others too near, he needed his Alpha. His skin was on fire and the muscles in his arse had begun to spasm rhythmically. He felt so empty, he needed to be filled, needed his mate to take him and claim him until the burning fire within him was quenched. It was agony. He whimpered and clutched his body tighter to his Alpha, “N-need you. Pleeeease....” 

 

The last word came out as a whine that morphed into a moan as his Alpha gripped his arse with one hand and banded his other arm around Harry’s back, clutching him tight. Then his mate began walking and Harry squirmed with delighted torment as the motion rubbed him firmly against the taller man’s body. But it wasn’t enough. He needed more... 

 

People were talking, whispering and shouting, but none were his mate so Harry ignored them. He clung to the potions master’s shoulders and nuzzled him desperately as they made their journey deeper and deeper into the castle. 

 

“We are safe, little one,” His mate’s growl made him shiver and more wetness soaked his pants, “Release the spell.”

 

Harry didn’t hesitate. He dropped the spell with a soft sigh and raised his head to look around. When he saw faces watching him from near the door he knew they should be familiar but all he felt was the emptiness inside him and the itching burn. He whimpered and buried his face again.

 

\-----

Severus strode further into his quarters, leaving the door to his bedchamber open as he approached his bed. 

 

With gentle yet firm movements, he pried Harry free and laid him down on the green silk duvet. The smaller man immediately twisted to his hands and knees, lowering his head to the mattress and presenting his body to his Alpha.

 

Severus growled with delight and his own fierce need. He swallowed hard, fighting the urge to pounce. 

 

“Severus?”

 

“Do not come in here Albus!” Severus snarled over his shoulder at his friend. His logical mind might understand that Albus was too old to react to the scent of his mate’s heat, but Severus could not completely shake the instinct that screamed he needed to assert his dominance over interlopers who might threaten the developing bond. Even Minerva, a Beta, made his hackles rise and his body ache for violence. He took shallow breaths through his mouth, the honey sweet scent of his Omega was rapidly dissolving his self control.

 

Albus came no closer, speaking from out of sight in the sitting room, “Can you tolerate Poppy? We need to establish a baseline for  both of you. I fear this will not be the first instance of the curse affecting behaviour. We need as much information as we can get.”

 

“Please!” Harry keened, rocking back on his knees and thrusting forward helplessly, “Please!”

 

Severus took a step forward and froze, “Hurry!”

 

Poppy bustled in. Her face was pale and drawn as she took in their respective states. Severus didn’t know what she saw when she looked at him but he knew it probably was no less provocative an image than the young man on the bed.

 

His cock throbbed viciously in his trousers, pressing against the material. Severus thought he might scream if he could not free himself soon but what little clarity he had left kept his hands clenched at his sides as he waited.

 

Poppy cast her spells quickly, nose wrinkled with disgust and eyes growing dazed. Whatever scent the two of them were giving off it was powerful enough to overwhelm her quickly. When her wand no longer moved but she remained standing in the room, swaying uneasily, Severus growled softly. His patience was at its end.

 

“Leave us!” He snarled, low and dangerous, his Omega whimpered with undisguised need and Severus snapped his leash. 

 

He tore his robes off before Poppy had finished turning toward the door and was free of his shirt as well by the time it slammed closed behind her. He felt a ripple of power as Harry threw out one hand and knew the shield was back up, this time closing them safely inside his rooms.

 

He dropped his clawed fingers to his trousers and didn’t even flinch when the sound of fabric ripping reached his ears. He just dropped the ruined cloth to the floor and tore his pants off as well.

 

Relief rolled through him as his erection was exposed to the cool air. He was throbbing with need, his aching flesh pulsing in time to the beat of his heart.

 

Harry watched him with his lust dilated eyes, licking his lips with blatant hunger.

 

Severus stepped closer, reaching out to scrape his claws along Harry’s spine. He watched, fascinated, as Harry arched under his touch and the younger man’s clothing shredded into useless strips beneath his claws.

 

Severus peeled robes and shirt alike away from Harry’s back and down his arms to pool at his elbows. Harry rose off his forearms long enough to toss the pieces away and squirmed to the edge of the bed.

 

The young man leaned forward and inhaled deeply, moaning with a shiver of excitement as he drew close enough to nuzzle Severus’s length. Soft, full lips mouthed at the head and a glistening pink tongue darted out to taste.

 

Severus groaned and his hips thrust involuntarily toward the warm, wet touch. He reached out to grasp a handful of unruly black locks and pulled, tugging his Omega forward, “Open your mouth.”

 

“Yessss....” Harry hissed, the end of the word coming out in sibilant tones reminescent of parseltongue, though not quite as reptilian. His lips fell open, forming a loose ‘O’ as his tongue caressed his bottom lip.

 

Severus reached down and wrapped his free hand around the base of his clock, thrusting forward into the warm wet cavern. Immediately those lips closed tight and sucked him in.

 

He growled with pleasure and thrust deeper, enjoying the slick play of Harry’s tongue against his heated flesh. Precum spurted from the tip and Harry purred sending vibrations along Severus’s length to ignite tendrils of pleasure in his sack. The smell of honey was thick on the air, making Severus’ mouth water.

 

That delicious tongue stabbed into his slit and then curled around the head to caress the large vein beneath. Harry purred again, writhing against the mattress.

 

Severus lost his control entirely, thrusting deep. He sank into Harry’s mouth until the convulsing muscles of his throat contracted around the head of Severus’ cock and then he pushed deeper. 

 

The younger man struggled with Severus’ length and girth, as an Alpha he was very well endowed and the feeling of something so long and thick forcing its way down Harry’s throat was foreign. But the taste of Severus’ precum was like ambrosia and it eased the ache in him. Harry forced himself to swallow repeatedly, hoping to milk more free and purred again when he succeeded. It was so good! But it wasn’t enough. He moaned helplessly and struggled, trying to pull free, but Severus held him there thrusting with tiny rocking jerks into the gripping heat. Harry continued laving the underside with his tongue as he choked on the massive pillar of flesh impaling his throat.

 

Finally, when it seemed Harry might just pass out, Severus pulled back with a curse until only the tip was still held by tight lips. He stroked Harry’s cheek and slid back in, rubbing the head of his cock on Harry’s tongue. Then he pulled away completely.

 

The sound Harry made was very nearly a wail of disappointment. He chased his treat but could not reach it and moaned in disappointment, “Please Alpha!”

 

“Severus.” The potions master stroked himself lightly with one hand and crawled onto the bed beside his lover, with infinitely gentle touches, Severus used his claws to divest Harry of the rest of his clothes. When Harry was entirely naked, Severus lounged alongside his lover and dragged the pads of his fingers over the length of Harry’s spine, dipping between rounded buttocks. His fingers slid through the wetness he found there, “Call me Severus. I want to hear my name on your lips when I claim you.”

 

“Yes! Severus please!” Harry moaned and swayed his hips forward and back, trying to get closer to his mate and impale himself back on the teasing fingers at the same time.

 

Severus clambered behind him and pressed Harry back into position by the scruff of his neck. He hummed with pleasure as his Omega went limp and pliant beneath him. Severus drew his fingers up to his mouth and sampled the source of that honey scent, his gut clenched with pleasure at the taste. He wanted more...

 

“Please Severus.... need you...”

 

Releasing Harry’s neck, Severus gripped the tempting arse arched up toward him and split the cheeks apart. He bent down and let his tongue drag up the back of one toned thigh to lave at the crevice between his hands, moaning with ravenous ecstasy when the flavour exploded on his tongue. 

 

He plundered the quivering hole for several long moments as his mate moaned and writhed for him. Licking from perineum to tailbone and swirling back down. Gently tracing the rounded rim before closing his lips around the puckered edges and suckling fervently. As his lover cried out mindlessly, Severus continued to tease him relentlessly, and when Harry pressed back wildly he stabbed his tongue inside and drew it back in a parody of what would come next. Harry keened violently, shuddering. 

 

“Yesss! Oh fuck yes!” When Harry stiffened with a harsh gasp and quaked violently, the musky scent of his orgasm made Severus grunt with want. He reared up on his knees and notched the head of his cock against the loosened bud of his Omegas entrance.

 

“Please... oh please... Severus....” Harry was struggling violently now, trying to escape Severus’ grip on his hips so he could press back against what he needed, “In me. Please! It burns! Please!!”

 

Severus gave in to the fire within and thrust, impaling the smaller man with one brutal shove of his hips. It was like sinking into heaven. Pleasure licked up his spine as the clenching muscle of Harry’s arse swallowed his length, clamping down as if to draw him deeper. Severus pulled back and thrust again, nothing had ever felt this good. The slick hot channel of his Omega was tight as a fist and convulsing rhythmically. Every time he slammed forward, needing to bury himself deep, more of that sweet wetness gushed out to coat him, dripping between their bodies where they were joined.

 

Severus was reduced to his most primal elements. Thought disappeared as he pounded into the body beneath him, clutching at the squirming hips backing into his every motion. It was all consuming and perfect. Until it wasn’t. His instincts were rising to the fore, seeking something... His Omega shuddered again, cumming violently, but was still not sated. Severus could feel his own orgasm approaching but his instincts were demanding he do something, change some small detail he was not sure he understood before his completion overtook him.

 

“Sev'rus! Need... deeper,” Harry whimpered, “Need... more... Please. Please. Please....”

 

Severus released the squirming hips and fell forward onto his hands, planting his palms on the mattress to cage Harry in. He ran his tongue up between the smaller man’s heaving shoulders and across the wound on his throat. He needed to give his mate what he begged for. What his own instincts demanded. But what? 

 

Then he felt it. In this new position the angle of his thrusts had changed and when he pushed back in the head of his cock bumped along a strange muscular protrusion at the front of Harry’s channel. Harry moaned loud and long at the touch, quaking with shudders. Drawing his hips back, Severus pushed more slowly and felt the tip of his length lodge against the far edge of the unfamiliar surface. He bent further over Harry, bracing on his own forearms and thrust slowly once more. It was an opening not a protrusion. Suddenly Harry’s cries for deeper made sense and Severus pressed forward with purpose.

 

The head of his cock tore through a thin barrier and embedded in a tighter sheath than the one he’d been buried in before. He snarled with ecstasy and rocked back, pushing deep again. Harry went mad beneath him, groaning and shaking and pushing into his thrusts with wild abandon.

 

Severus couldn’t hold back anymore, his orgasm rose up and detonated like a muggle bomb. He shoved deep and felt the muscular opening clamp and pulse around the end of his cock like a suckling mouth. Pleasure swamped every nerve and he convulsed as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through him, swelling with an intensity that was unbearable until all of him felt like one quivering exposed nerve ending. He felt Harry clenching and heard his keening whimpers but could do nothing but ride out the pleasure.

 

When it finally began to abate, Severus realized he was collapsed upon his mate and tried to shift back. Harry cried out and tensed, clenching around him and Severus collapsed again, wracked by another mind wiping explosion of pleasure. He throbbed within that sucking heat, cumming again with violent shudders. Agonizing ecstasy made him jerk and quiver against the small body beneath him. His chest heaved for breath he couldn’t find. It was so good. Too good. Every pulse wrung another explosion from his exhausted body and his hips pushed deep without thought for the small body beneath him.

 

When the waves receded once more, Severus did not try to move his hips again. He braced his weight carefully and slid one hand down, feeling for the place they were joined. His fingers brushed the wet pucker wrapped around him and pressed, he bit his lip as echoes of pleasure answered the pressure. Something held him trapped within his lover, he could feel a firmness pressing back from within. What? He concentrated, trying to remember.

 

The heat! He remembered the Alpha Death Eaters tearing apart the Omega witch when they finished breeding her. Each had sported an unnatural protrusion at the base of their erections, a swollen knot too wide for penetration or removal. His fingers pressed again and drew away, but when he looked there was no blood. It appeared the protrusion would not damage his mate so long as he didn’t seek to remove it. Severus sighed with relief and rolled them carefully to the side, shaking as the motion caused Harry to clench around him and another orgasm was yanked from his body. The little Omega shivered and moaned as well, and Severus felt the twitching spurts of his mate cumming on the hand that clutched his mate’s belly, holding them together. Harry mewled weakly and went limp when they settled and Severus felt the younger man’s muscles go soft and loose as he passed out.

 

The Potions Master settled down to wait, stroking one hand down his mate’s sweat damp side to his hip and back up again. He felt, for the first time in his life, truly content. 

 

 

 

 


	7. 6 - Finding Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!  
> First things first: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, I just wish I did.  
> Now, let me first apologize for the massive delay between updates, I discovered a massive infestation of carpenter ants in my house and I have been spending all of my time dealing with the disaster that is dealing with this. Its eating up every minute of spare time and I hadn't touched my computer until today since my last update, so I'm sorry I've left you hanging. Unfortunately we aren't picking up with Sev and Harry in this chapter or the next (I know I'm evil, I'm sorry!) but I need to touch base on St. Mungo's, the Ministry, and old Voldy so hold tight. More Sev and Harry is coming as well as some surprises for our other Gryffindor Omegas! I'm hoping to get at least two more chapters up before the end of the week! Enjoy

**Chapter Six**

**Or**

**Finding Family**

The halls of St Mungo’s had never seen such chaos as they had since the Trium Mutatio Curse was released in Western Europe and spread through the Floo networks, ley lines, and proximity to those already cursed. It was both more extreme in its transformative manifestation and more virulent in its transmission than anything before seen. Its effects on the general population were extreme; but when it hit the hospital, with its lines of power laid for the monitoring and treatment of patients and the sheer number of witches and wizards in close quarters, the Change had detonated through the halls like an explosion. No one escaped and the fighting began swiftly and violently. Patients that had been victim of memory damage and magically crippled, victims of curses so powerful or so extensive they spent their days in a spell induced coma were suddenly purged of it all and the Curse remade them. Some were healed and some remained damaged though in a different way, and some... some became little more than wild beasts and killed each other with the same mindless rage they turned on everyone else until they were put down or contained. The death count in those first days was high and the panic that ruled in the days that followed was just as rampant, but St Mungo’s was not known as the premier wizarding hospital in Western Europe for no reason. The staff had rallied and re-organized and now things were running, if not smoothly, then at least as efficiently as possible.

 

Healer Cassiopeia Miles shivered as she walked past the Lost Ward, the glass of the double doors were blackened with magic to keep out the eyes of the curious, but she knew what lay beyond them. Each cursed witch and wizard was bound by enchanted chains and cast into stasis, their eyes cloudy and unseeing. She had already had one shift monitoring them and working the necessary maintenance charms, it was always horrifically monotonous and persistently terrifying in the most monstrous of ways. None of the patients admitted to the Lost Ward had maintained their humanity during the change or recovered it in the days that followed. Each of them was pure instinct and there was extensive debate about whether or not the victims resting there would ever be released from stasis and what the ethical ramifications of maintaining it long term were. She doubted, with the damage that had been dealt immediately after the outbreak, that it would be wise to address the issue before things were more settled. Euthanasia had been discussed in whispers on more than one occasion already and the thought made her ill even to contemplate. They had taken solemn vows to do no harm.

 

Cassi trembled at the thought of becoming like them, the Lost Ones, becoming a beast in human form... She couldn’t remember much from that first day. She was a Beta and not a strong one either, except for her healing abilities, and in those first few hours everything was a haze of fear and confusion and screaming... She knew that she had been as led by instinct as everyone else despite feeling present in her body, she had not stood up to the Alphas raging in the halls. She had not checked on her patients as she should have until the fighting was done. Instead, she had locked herself in with a group of the junior Healers and trainees, most of them Omegas, and used all her strength to ward the doors until the Beta Aurors from the Ministry had arrived and cleared the halls.

  
More shivers chased themselves up and down her spine, skin puckering into goose pimples and her scalp itched like it crawled with insects. Thinking about it made it suddenly hard to breath. She’d check herself for a strangling hex if didn’t happen so often these days. Anxiety was her constant companion here and drugged sleep was the only thing that kept her on her feet. There were too many people suffering or dying from what had been done to them all. Cassi had spent every waking moment in this hospital since she was cursed and every day it felt like they knew less than they had the day before.

 

Intensive scans had revealed the alterations to the victim’s physiology and controlled exposure was beginning to give them glimpses into magical fluctuations and behaviours but the more they learned the clearer it became that they had almost as much to unlearn as they had left to discover.

 

“Healer McCoy,” Cassi waved over one of the newer recruits, an Omega that had latched onto her in that warded room the first day, but as shy from the change as they all seemed to be, “What updates do you have for me on the Mulligan case?”

 

“It’s resolved itself like the other three spontaneous heats. No long term side effects so far except for dehydration, minor muscle tearing, and some not insignificant abrasions to the nether regions. It appears Connor Mulligan attempted to assuage his discomfort whenever the potions wore off. Even on the elevated dose it couldn’t keep him down longer than a few hours at a time. The Council marked his recovery at 4 days, on par with the average and his case was the last necessary data point on the spontaneous heats to qualify for policy adjustment. Healer Ashai is pleased, the resolution of this case was just in time for him to complete his comparative study with the Stasis volunteers and they made the necessary adjustments to the Protocol Guide. Stasis Charms are now ruled ineffective. Like all the others, the Cunningham Omega who was released last night was found to be exactly as she was before the spell was applied. Healer Cartwright will be working doubles until Cartwright’s symptoms improve to make sure Miss Cunningham doesn’t succumb to dehydration while her body works through it. Brianna Dougherty is showing no signs of improvement, Healer Thomas would like to instigate a potion regimen to treat the individual symptoms as soon as possible. Yesterday’s tests indicate stress on the heart and a high but stable fever. The guardians are still refusing to consent to the established curative treatment in triggered Heat cases. She’s requested you stop by and provide a second opinion so she can petition the Ministry for intervention. The Dougherty Omega has already experienced a markedly longer expression of symptoms than any of the other patients on file, triggered or spontaneous. Do you want me to continue or would you like to review the Time Line Record?” Alexander McCoy bobbed his curly blonde head, dark blue eyes wide, as he spoke taking quick little double steps to keep up with her quicker pace. Twice he had to veer away from her to jump over gouges in the floor that the maintenance staff hadn’t gotten to already.

 

Like always, he reminded Cassi of a strangely dressed cherub in his sky blue robes, similar to her own, marking him as a staffer in the Isolation Wards. There were some parts of her religious muggle upbringing that she would never escape. Especially now that a madman well known for his hatred of less than perfect bloodlines had cursed the entire world causing Merlin-only-knew how many deaths, broken families, and a complete destruction of their way of life. The fear had been pulling her in opposite directions for days. Should she pull away from the people around her, retreat and batten down the hatches against what was coming? Or should she reach out and band together with those like her who were terrified of what had happened. And what was coming. She glanced at McCoy out of the corner of her eye, “In a moment.”

 

She paused near an alcove with a seat for visitors and lowered herself onto it, happy to find them as alone as was possible in a hospital during crisis. Cassi smiled gently at McCoy’s obvious anxiety and patted the seat next to her, “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

 

The blonde grimaced and then sighed and sat, “That saying is even more aptly phrased than it was in the past. I can’t decide if that’s funny or terrifying. Maybe both?”

 

“Alex... May I call you Alex?” Cassi watched his face carefully and tipped her chin in thanks when he nodded, “You can call me Cassi if you want. I’ve been thinking that things are pretty scary these days, yeah? And maybe its safer to pull together if you don’t have family or a spouse or.... What I means is, well, I.... I don’t have much in the way of family, you see, and I’ve spent my entire adult life dedicated to this hospital. I’ve started worrying I’m on my own and that just feels _wrong_ somehow. Being alone all the time is... _uncomfortable_. I can’t seem to shake it. There’s this sense that a piece of me is gone or missing or... I don’t know how to explain it. Do you... would you... Does that make sense to you?”

 

“Yes!” Alex curled an arm around hers and leaned closer, quivering slightly. With nerves if her nose could be trusted, and old fear that clung but wasn’t actively being produced, “The other Omega’s on staff and I have been meeting three times a shift to help with the feeling but its not enough. I know its not a perfect study, since we’ve no control group or experimental group to analyze, but we think there’s a magical or physiological drive toward group dynamics that’s rooted in physical contact. The curse is very complex but it was designed for a purpose, to protect and increase the magical population so it stands to reason that an element of the curse would force proximity in order to accomplish its goals. Omegas are driven to gather and nurture and sooth with touch. We _need_ it to function. Every Omega has reported increasing anxiety, restlessness, and eventual despondency when deprived. We’ve seen how Alphas are drawn to Omegas and that serves the end goal as well. But with everything so chaotic, not much attention has been given to Betas and their experience of the transformation since it is so much less dramatic than the other designations. But there must be more to it, otherwise why would the curse not have simply created Alphas and Omegas alone? There must be a goal, once we know what it is we can figure out how to treat the symptoms. But we can start by trying what works for everyone else and rule it out if nothing else. Feel any better?”

 

Cassi felt a comfortable lassitude wash over her in a soothing wave from the moment Alex sought out her touch. It was like slipping into a hot bath at the end of a long day. She could feel the warmth of the smaller body against her side and smell the sweet fruity scent that was now imprinted on her mind as being intrinsically _Alex_. She leaned into him and had to fight the strangely overwhelming maternal instinct to gather him against her breast and pet his head until the traces of fear smell on him went away. Instead she patted his arm gently where it was curled around her own and grinned. She did feel better and this clever little Omega still in his second year as an intern had been the one to figure it out, “I do. Thank you.”

 

They sat like that for a minute and then Cassi leaned away a bit to look at her companion, “You are definitely onto something, Alex. It makes sense, with such a powerful drive to mate and the carriers of the young so much smaller than their counterparts that there would be an answering drive to form family groups. I did my thesis in the sentient non-human term of my apprenticeship about breeding habits of non-human magical creatures and there are numerous examples of variations on that theme among them. Female unicorns form herds to protect their young and shift colour to indicate their unavailability to males until the foals are old enough to roam free. Veela form powerful kin-bonds from the moment they reach puberty and raise their young in large varied families. We know Vampires form donor bonds but they also have powerful connections with any fledglings they sire and live in clans of multiple generations protecting one another. Even the tradition of House Elves offering service to wizarding families was founded on a principal of finding safety for their young after their natural habitat was overrun by Wyvrens when the growing Muggle population forced the Magical government to start regulating sanctuaries for dangerous magical creatures. And Werewolves form packs, often abandoning wizarding society all together to live in structured family groups. Considering that this curse is so similar to Lycanthropy, I’m shocked I never considered it before! Reproduction alone is not enough for a population to thrive, there has to be a way to protect the young to maturity as well. Of course this Curse is no different!”

 

“But what was the role Betas were meant to play?” Alex mused, considering then blushed and shook his head.

 

Cassi frowned as Alex looked down at his hands and away from her. She tipped his chin back up, not enough to expose his throat but enough to force the eye contact he was avoiding, “You thought of something, what was it?”

 

“It’s nothing, really, I...” Alex dry washed his hands, “I don’t want to get carried away with speculation.”

 

“Everything we do now and learn is through speculation and subsequent testing when we aren’t just reacting to a new crisis. We know next to nothing about what the long term effects of these changes are going to be or how those effects will alter behaviour. You have as much right as any of us to voice your thoughts.”

 

“You mentioned Lycanthropy and Werewolf pack structure and I just couldn’t help remembering how often I have heard Trium Mutation compared to the Lycanthropy Curse only more stable and complete in its effects,” Alex mused softly, dry washing his hands and staring at them from his position curled into her side, “It strikes me that perhaps we should look at those structures specifically and perhaps consult with someone suffering from that curse. Have you heard anything about any Werewolves being affected by the Trium Mutatio or anything from the Ministry liasons about attacks or injuries this past lunar cycle? I know things have been chaotic and the social infrastructure is seriously destabilized, but I can’t remember a month without at least one victim of an attempted Lycanthropic attack somewhere in the country being brought in during the past two years and yet there has been nothing. It is too soon to point to it as a pattern but I think its worth looking into.”

 

“You are absolutely right,” Cassi was gobsmacked that she hadn’t even noted the most recent full moon or considered the possibility of danger with the Auror Corps unstable and the government in shambles. Businesses all over the country had been shut down as people retreated to protect their families or search for missing friends. It was bedlam out there and no one had even thought of the possibility that there were Werewolves out there who had undergone the change and now felt _compelled_ to bite others even when not afflicted by the Change. She paused as something else occurred to her, “Alex... The Spell Damage Ward had multiple patients expel the magic that was afflicting them during the change and for some of them the Change mutated their curses. It is possible, even likely, that something similar has happened with the Lycanthropy Curse. It _is_ very similar structurally to Trium Mutatio, enough that a lack of interaction between the two magics is _improbable_. I never even thought... Make a note that we should contact the Ministry and any Werewolf patients on record to investigate. Once we know how the Curse has affected them we can ask about pack structure and see if it provides any leads. You are a genius!”

 

Cassi squeezed Alex in a quick hug and then lept to her feet, she felt invigorated both by the prolonged contact and the stimulating conversation. Already, with just this small step, her feelings of isolation and disassociation were easing. Perhaps Alex might consider allowing her to join him and his Omega friends for touch therapy? And if it worked well she could approach her supervisor about incorporating it into the new Protocols.

 

“Code Black, Isolation Ward Section B Room 12! All available Healers respond! Code Black, Isolation Ward Section B Room 12!”

 

The announcement, magnified along the power lines laid throughout the hospital was clear as if it had been spoken right next to them. Cassi sucked in a sharp breath and took off down the hall as her stomach dropped to her feet. Room 12 was the Dougherty Omega’s room and a Code Black... That Code was only called when the patient was not only no longer exhibiting physical signs of life but also registered as magically null. When all signs of magic disappeared from the body no amount of resuscitative efforts or magical interventions had proven effective.

 

It took only moments to reach the room and as soon as they crossed the threshold Cassi had to fight back tears. Two Omega Healers were clutching the young girl’s body and weeping silently, their faces twisted with despair.

 

Alex made a terrible keening sound and joined them, clutching a pale, bare sweaty ankle as tears coursed down his face.

 

Cassi couldn’t blame them, she didn’t know the girl well, had not been the primary on her case at all since the Omega was brought in, but her instincts were screaming that this was _wrong_. It felt like an unimaginable loss, like the sun had refused to rise, Omegas were to be protected. This should not have happened. She felt a hard resentment blossom in her chest at the thought of the girl’s parents keeping her Alpha separate from his mate, for there was no doubt that the separation was responsible for the escalating symptoms that had taken her life. Every triggered heat that was treated by consummation of the mating bond had resulted in alleviation of symptoms and record speed recuperation. The untriggered heats resolved on their own but the triggered heats did not, they worsened, but so far the patients suffering its symptoms had either consented or their guardians had as soon as their health began to decline if not before. This was the first case that had been allowed to escalate for so long despite the complete lack of success all of the interventions attempted had provided. Now this poor girl was dead. Cassi knew this was You-Know-Who’s fault, that the Omega’s parents hadn’t known, couldn’t have known. Still, it rankled, that propriety and social programming had led to her death. Something would have to be done, Protocols changed, this could not be allowed to happen again. She pledged to herself that she would contact the Ministry Liaison today and see to it herself.

 

Carefully, moving slowly, she approached Alex and Healer Thomas and placed her hands on the nape of their necks. Gently, she applied pressure, and used the forced pliancy the grip caused to guide them away from the corpse. Cassi helped them down onto a sofa along the far wall and didn’t release them until they were curled around one another on the soft leather. Then she returned for the third Omega Healer, a young man she wasn’t familiar enough to know by name but whose face she had seen often in the meal hall.

 

She was just wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck when the door crashed all the way open and slammed into the wall. Healer Perseus Tritonwick stumbled through and collapsed against the rolling table of implements just inside the door. His face was bloodied and his left arm hung limp in the tattered remains of his robes as he cast several hexes Cassi had never heard of through the open door. Tritonwick was one of the few Alphas on staff and the head Healer in the Alpha Seclusion Ward.

 

“Ward the door, Miles! Now!”

 

Casting quickly, Cassi moved to support the larger man, “What is happening?”

 

Tritonwick shook his head, blue eyes narrowed and focused on the door, “There’s no time. Can you conjure a Patronus? We need the Aurors right now!”

 

“What do I tell them?” Cassi asked quickly, trying to summon the necessary happiness to perform a spell she had struggled with before the change had ripped her carefully ordered life to pieces. Despite her despair only moments before, it was surprisingly easy, she just thought of that moment in the hall with Alex and how she’d felt as she rose from her seat inspired and determined. A fully corporeal dolphin dove from the tip of her wand and swam through the air when she completed the wrist motion and Cassi had to swallow the urge to gape like a moron and lose her hold on the spell.

 

“The Alpha suspected as mate to the Omega here has broken out of isolation and killed three orderlies and one of our Healers. He’s gone completely feral!”

 

Cassi passed on the message and then turned to Tritonwick, “Is he coming here?”

 

“Possibly,” Rubbing a shaking hand over his face, Tritonwick smeared the blood sluggishly weeping from a cut above his left brow across his cheek and jaw. Cassi cast a quick charm to seal it and the large man smiled at her weakly, “Thanks. I thought he was right behind me but he could have gone after the parents... I thought he was too mindless to-”

 

A blast shattered Cassi’s wards in a single strike and she stumbled back from the recoil like she’d been struck by a physical blow. For a moment she was too disorient to understand what was happening but the sound of Tritonwick casting filled her ears and she knew without even needing to look that the enraged Alpha had come for his mate. She grabbed the Omega whose name she didn’t know and yanked him to the sofa with the others, pushing him into their arms before turning to face the threat. She would guard them while Tritonwick fought and if he lost she’d put herself between the raging Alpha and the huddled Omegas even if it killed her.

 

“Tell him to come here!” Alex called softly, grabbing the back of her robes, “I’m shielding us but I can’t reach that far, tell him to come here!”

 

“Tritonwick! Get over here! Alex says he can work a shield!” Cassi called out. If she’d have had the presence of mind to think it would have occurred to her to wonder why Alex didn’t ask the Alpha closer himself, but everything was a blinding whirlwind of snarls and spellfire. The dark haired wizard was bleeding again already as he cast hex after hex and curse after curse, the magic blasting scorch marks and gouges into the walls as they ricocheted. He didn’t answer her or look away, too consumed with his opponent. The other Alpha, a tall man with red hair who looked to be in his early forties truly was feral. His eyes, likely a lovely brown before, were bloodred where they should have been white and the irises had gone a terrifying amber gold. Cassi was once again struck by the similarity to Lycanthropy, that gold was the exact shade of Werewolf eyes during their lunar transformations. It chilled her blood to see it in a human face, it usually meant you were moments away from a monster. Her fear deepened when a moment later she realized that the monster was already here, all the Alphas who had undergone the change were massive and terrifyingly physically imposing. Combined with the increased potency of their destructive magics and the Trium Mutatio had turned every individual of that designation into a potentially unstoppable killing machine if there wasn’t another Alpha present to defend against attack. There was no chance that she could physically stop this man, no chance at all.

 

“Cassi, he’s too badly hurt, you need to get him close enough for me to fold the shield around him!” Alex yanked at her robes again, shaking Cassi from her dark thoughts. The young man was almost vibrating with terror, “ _Please_ Cassi, he’s... I can _smell_  the other one. I... If he orders me not to shield... I need to seal us off now!”

 

It took less than a fraction of a second for Cassi’s mind to make the leap.The feral Alpha was beyond speech for now but it he should order the Omegas to come to him... She lunged forward, catching Tritonwick by the robes and pulled as hard as she could. If he hadn’t been so badly injured, there was likely no way that she could have managed it. Tritonwick was as big as any Alpha and strong even by the standards of his designation, it was why he’d been stationed heading the Isolation Ward. But he was weakened by bloodloss and pain and not expecting to face an attack from behind, so he tumbled easily into their corner of the room. Cassi had to skip back to escape a retaliatory strike, however, and was glad for the first time that the Curse had provided instincts to accompany her change. Something in her knew to be cautious with an aggressive Alpha in the same way she’d been driven to be gentle with the Omegas. She sighed with relief as an almost opaque shield snapped into life around them, locking them away from the Alpha still raging in the room beyond.

 

Alex had his eyes squeezed shut with concentration and he flinched every few seconds as if struck. Clearly they were not safe yet.

  
Cassi tried not to wonder how long it would take the Ministry to send help and whether or not her new friend would be able to hold his shields until they got here. Taking a deep breath and trying to appear as non threatening as possible, Cassi turned to Tritonwick and lowered herself into a crouch so she couldn’t be perceived as looming in a dominant way, “Can I tend to your wounds, Tritonwick? I don’t know how long Alex can hold the shields, we might need you again soon.”  
  
“Do it.” The wizard stared her down with his deep blue eyes and nodded sharply with approval as Cassi tipped her chin back in submission at the sound of his growly tone, “And its Percy. I think this situation qualifies as intimate enough to forgo formalities, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah,” Cassi chuckled, flinching as Alex bit off a whimper, “I’m Cassi. That’s Alex McCoy and Valerie Thomas.”

 

“And you are?” Percy turned to the third Omega, a young man with olive skin and hair almost as dark as his black eyes.

 

The young wizard dropped his eyes to the floor and eased over so he was behind Cassi, as far from Percy as he could get without touching the shield, “Diego Santori, Sir.”

 

“It’s lovely to meet you Diego,” Cassi replied and cast another diagnostic on Percy’s sprawled form, “Can you check on Alex for me?”

 

“I’m fine!” Alex panted. But it was clear that he wasn’t as a less opaque shield formed just inside of the one he’d raised the first time. As they watched the outer shield shattered and the inner shield trembled with shock waves of coloured light as a shadow paced back and forth just beyond its protective boundary.

 

As she sealed cuts and attempted to unsnarl the magic tangled around Percy, Cassi prayed that the Aurors got there soon. But even as she attempted to seal the weeping burns along the left side of his ribs, she could hear Alex panting raggedly and she knew it wouldn’t be long before this shield fell under the onslaught being thrown at it from the other side of the room. It was more flexible than the other so it might last longer, but spells would penetrate it before it fell completely. Shifting slowly, trying not to broadcast what she was doing, Cassi moved to place her body between the other occupants of the shield.

 

Alex grunted and then a high whine slipped through his lips and Cassi didn’t need to see the vicious snarl on Percy’s face to know her concerns had been founded. Agony flared in her side and she looked down to see a bent piece of metal protruding from her abdomen.

 

Wobbling, she fell to one knee and coughed as she gasped for air. Red mist sprayed into Percy’s face when he caught her shoulders to keep her from falling onto the metal impaling her side as her legs gave out.

 

“CASSI!” Alex was lunging for her as her vision darkened around the edges.

 

Cassi flailed, reaching for Alex, “P-protect him. Y-you have t-to k-kee... keep...”

 

Sobs and screams chased her into nothingness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS - If you have contacted me about being a beta please send me an email at jaidalgrant@gmail.com, I have no idea how to use this site to connect with people being all new to the format and all!


	8. Sky Falls and Land Calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not mine, don't sue. Three Chapters are just waiting for a final edit so they'll be quicker than this last one I hope! Sorry about the delays here, so much is happening at the same time in different places I'm having to check and double check and edit to keep from completely wandering off on tangents. If you want to see it let me know, if you notice any errors (grammatically or continuity related) let me know! We've almost covered what needs covered before getting back to Hogwarts. Hold tight! Onward we go into Chaos!

**The Sky Falls and the Land Calls**

 

 

Arthur Weasley shifted uneasily outside Acting Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt’s office at the ministry of magic. His robes were torn and stained with blood and there was a streak of soot across one cheek where he’d been scorched during the struggle to subdue the feral Alpha at St. Mungo’s. His heart still beat a rapid thrumming in his throat even though the fight itself was over. Every time he blinked he saw images of frozen moments against the backdrop of his eyelids. The dolphin Patronus diving through the Atrium, crying out in a young witch’s trembling voice. Blink. Bodies strewn across curse burnt halls. Blink. An Alpha man and Omega woman, clearly a mated pair, sat pale and sobbing in each other’s arms amongst the carnage. Blink. The dark snarl of the feral Alpha as he cast aside a limp form in blue healer’s robes, the body too broken and bloody to even suggest gender. Blink.

 

Something collided with Arthur’s shoulder and the scrolls he held scattered onto the floor, “Oi! Sorry! Wotcher Arthur! Let me...”  
  
“Don’t!” Arthur grabbed Tonks before she could kneel down to gather his lost scrolls, “You can’t touch them! They’re warded!”

 

“Oh!” Tonks flushed and shrugged nervously, “What happened to you? Let me...”

 

Flinching hard at the abrasive scrape of magic against his skin, Arthur stumbled back a step and waved her off, “Tonks! Merlin! You’ll get your throat torn out trying that stunt on an Alpha!”

 

“But you’re not an Alpha, Arthur, and now you’re not all over blood,” Tonks shrugged sheepishly and flushed, “Probably should have asked first though, shouldn’t I?”

 

“Nevermind, you meant well, thank you,” Arthur offered a wry smile, “Just don’t try to fix the robes, I’ve heard how skilled you are at household charms and Molly will box my ears if I damage them any worse than they are already. It’s my third set this month.”

 

Tonks laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, “Some things never change, thank Merlin for that! Sorry again, for the scrolls and the spell.”

 

Arthur just waved her apologies aside and gathered the documents himself, “Don’t worry about it. You here to see the Minister?”

 

“Nah, Moody’s in there with him,” Tonks knocked on the door with the heel of her boot, “I need to report in on the searches today.”

 

“Bout time Nymphadora!” The words came through even before the door opened and Moody appeared,. He stalled in the opening for a moment drawing his wand, and then stepped forward, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. From the looks of him he could smell the fear coming off Arthur in waves, “Arthur? What are ye doin’ here? Thought ye were watchin’ the mediwizards?”

 

Arthur nodded and rose, “I am. I mean, I was. Do you mind if we take this inside? The Minister needs to call an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot and we need to update Albus as well, he’s sealed the Hogwarts Floo system everywhere else, hopefully Kingsley can get through.”

 

“Right. Come on in then.” Moody’s magical eye swivelled, searching for anyone near enough to be eavesdropping. He layered several silencing charms and anti-eavesdropping wards as soon as Arthur and Tonks were through the door. The door locked with an audible click and a burst of red magic, “Well? Spit it out man, what’s happened now?”

 

Kingsley rose from his seat behind the large wooden desk in the centre of the office and offered his hand. Arthur crossed to shake it and then stepped back, gathering the documents from under his arm and holding them out, “The Dougherty Case took a turn. A bad one, its going to be all over the papers by tomorrow and even if we hush the details we won’t be able to silence it completely. Too many people witnessed the fallout. If we can’t get ahead of this its going to be panic.”

 

“I thought the healers had a handle on it? The Omega wasn’t responding to treatment but she was safe in isolation and her Alpha willingly submitted to sedation and his own incarceration until a solution was found.” Kingsley peered down at the scrolls and then paled, “Dead? Both of them? And... Lord Arthur! This is a disaster!”

 

“We also have four dead Orderlies, two Healers, a Security Officer, and two Aurors who responded to the distress call,” Arthur replied with a sharp nod, his lips pinching against bitter fear and anger, “Two other Healers will require an extended stay in the Spell Damage Ward and a third will be in recovery for some time, another four – Omega’s all – are in seclusion for treatment of emotional trauma, and the parents of the dead Omega are heavily sedated in the Mind Magic ward. According to the Healers on that case file, there is no way to know for sure how long it will be before they recover. The mother wouldn’t stop making this... I can’t even describe it, a kind of keening cry that was setting off every Omega in the vicinity. And her mate, an Alpha male, was on the brink of going feral himself when they dosed him up. The staff are terrified of what will happen if they can’t keep him from losing control.”

 

Kingsley finished reading the last scroll and handed it over to Mad Eye before crossing the room with swift, precise steps. He cast a handful of Floo powder that he’d scooped off the mantel into the fire. When it flared, Kingsley called out, “Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts!”

 

Then stuck his face into the fire without hesitation, “Albus? Are you in?”

 

“Kingsley, our meeting was set for this evening if I am not mistaken,” Albus’ face appeared as Kingsley backed out of the flames. His features were lined with concern, too much for an unexpected message, “Has something else happened?”

 

Kingsley nodded and waved Arthur forward, “Arthur just notified me of a crisis situation at St. Mungo’s. I know you have a great deal going on at the school but you need to hear about this.”

 

“St. Mungo’s is in a crisis state. They lost an Omega to an unconsumated triggered Heat and her Alpha went feral. He utilized wandless and wordless magic against the staff and security of the hospital. He killed nine people before the Aurors subdued him. And he didn’t stop trying to kill more until he was dead.” Arthur rubbed his face and cringed when he nudged a scrape he’d missed when the Healers had triaged everyone back at the Hospital, “The Director has passed a Violet Flag Protocol, no staff member in the Hospital will act to interfere in a diagnosed triggered heat until it can be medically verified that doing so will not cause harm to the patients. They are predicting a high likelihood of panic among the public and potential legal repercussions once this goes public and more cases spring up. The Director told me his people think the best possible chance we have of heading this thing off is medical-legal emancipation of every fully mature witch and wizard that may enter into triggered heat.”  
  
“I agree.” Albus replied swiftly, “I am terribly sorry about the Omega and the others at St. Mungo’s but we have larger concerns now. The Heats have reached the school. Harry Potter succumbed to triggered heat this morning and word will leak no matter how tightly I lock down the castle. His mate will likely raise exactly the kind of public outcry this legislation is needed to prevent. We cannot afford that kind of chaos now.”

Arthur whispered, “Not Harry!”

 

“Calm yourself, Arthur. He will be alright. We were unable to prevent the natural... progression of events any more than St. Mungo’s was but as with the Omegas there, he did not appear to desire our aid. If he needs it in future, he will have it. I swear.” Albus replied swiftly, tone sincere. It went without saying that the guilt he’d already been feeling was only steadily increasing as the situation continued to spin out of his control, “But he is safe now, with his mate. It is our job to minimize the risks he faces from here by providing him, and the Omegas who follow him, with the support and protection they will need as they cope with what is happening to them. They are vulnerable now.”

 

“We need Potter sane and ready to lead when it comes down to it,” Moody spat, expression dark, “Bad enough the fates served us up an Omega for our Saviour, now he’s mindless and like as not up the duff. The Chosen One! Who mated him then eh? Can we count on them, at least, when its time to face the Dark Lord and his forces?”

 

“I said vulnerable, not weak,” Albus nodded though his expression was disapproving, but Alastor had always been the mouth of the least pleasant perspective and that perspective was as necessary as it was unpalatable. Albus knew the public mindset would run along similar lines, these things would need to be addressed, what should have been private and personal in the life of Harry Potter was usually known by everyone almost as soon as it happened, “We were unable to prevent Harry’s mating this morning because he threw a nonverbal, wandless shield of such power that Minerva could not shake it even with Harry barely conscious and completely insensate. Whatever else he may be, Harry Potter is not without power of his own, Omega or no. And his mate will stand with us, as he always has.”

 

“An Order member? At Hogwarts?” Arthur muttered and then stiffened. Albus could not possibly mean... “Not... Surely you don’t mean Severus?”

 

“That two faced sneak has Potter? Mad Eye snarled, disgusted, “We’re lucky not to be kneeling to the Dark Lord already. I know you’ve always defended his loyalty Albus, but we’re done for if he’s playing you false. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

 

Albus sighed and smiled wryly, a shadow of his usual twinkle entered his gaze for the first time since his face appeared in the Floo, “We have had this argument before, Alastor. But, had I any doubts, his behaviour this morning would have laid them to rest. Harry is more than safe with Severus, if they set aside their differences I dare say they might even find happiness together in time.”

 

“I’ve always appreciated yer ability to be so unfalteringly optimistic,” Mad Eye snarked, magic eye spinning, “I comfort myself with the knowledge that I’ll be dead long before anyone proves you wrong.”

 

“I’ll call the Wizengamot to session,” Kingsley braced his hands on the desk and lifted his hanging head, “I’ll need you to present the motion Arthur. You have the right as Ministry Liason.”

 

“A-alright.” Arthur stuttered.

 

Kinglsey nodded sharply, “Mad Eye, up the usual protocol. I want twice the numbers and all of them utilizing a bubblehead charm to keep the scents out of the equation. How long will you need to scramble that many?”

 

“Give me at least an hour,” Mad Eye said, thumping his prosthesis on the floor and turning to disable the wards on the door, “I’ll send ye a memo soon as I have ‘em organized. Tonks?! Yer recruit one for Court guard duty. Get yerself somethin’ to eat and get back here. Maybe a pepper up while yer at it. Ye look like yer going to fall down. Well? Move!”

 

Arthur snorted in wry disbelief as Tonks scrambled out of the office ahead of Mad Eye as if she’d just been struck with a stinging hex. It would seem that some things didn’t change, even when the sky was falling.

 

~

 

Lord Voldemort held his newest Omega by the scruff and scowled at the quivering idiot. This was his sixth, though only four had remained useful enough to continue breathing and he was becoming frustrated. He had discovered quickly that after the first, a bond could only be forced with Omegas in heat and it was becoming clear they didn’t enter into it under stress. Keeping their captives at a separate location in relative comfort had worked passingly well at first but the longer they were held the higher the risk of one escaping and revealing one of his unprotected strongholds. He needed more secure ground.

 

He lowered his head to speak softly in the whimpering little bitch’s ear, “You will Claim this territory for me or I will be forced to find another who can. But know this, you are bound to me irrevocably now. I am in your blood, in your scent, in the very core of your magic and that bond cannot be severed save by death. Since I cannot die, I trust even your limited intelligence can comprehend how this connection will be corrected should it not prove useful to me, yes?”

 

The Omega quaked harder, limbs still loose and faltering from his grip. She nodded frantically as much as she was able. The girl was young, or perhaps that was just the look of them all, her eyes were hollow and too broken to use as a measure. Regardless of her age, Lord Voldemort was finding it more difficult to care about more than the purpose she might serve. He would need to depend more on his vassals’ Omegas to claim further territory soon. His own enthusiasm for the act that bound his own was waning and he found himself struggling to maintain the necessary physical state to follow through when he was forced to curtail his baser instincts. He’d killed a few before he could bind them fully when he had first started.

 

“Alpha? I don’t know what you mean by ‘Claiming’ this territory. It’s your estate isn’t it?”

 

The Omega smelled of blood and vaguely of urine, Voldemort couldn’t decide in that moment f he wanted his men to bathe her so she would be less offensive or chain her somewhere public as an object lesson in his power. If he didn’t have to kill her that was.

 

She seemed to sense his malice and babble on desperately, “I will do as you ask! I swear! Just tell me how! Please!”

 

“Reach out to the land the same way you reach for me. I felt you struggle against it, I know you can feel it. Let yourself mingle with the magic of this place and know that it is mine as you are mine, both one beneath my control. It will bind to you if you are strong enough to hold it. If you are not...” the Dark Lord let the words trail off unfinished, but it made his belly warm with anticipation of real pleasure to imagine what would happen then and he was certain it soaked his tone and expression both. He squeezed until his fingertips warmed with wet oozing and cackled with delight at the metallic scent of the Omega’s blood. He could still taste it on his tongue. _That_ part he liked.

 

The Omega didn’t need more clarification. She closed her eyes tight and held her breath, tear stained cheeks reddening with effort.

 

Magic coalesced around them, tightening in a slowly winding spiral that gave the air weight and an almost electric charge. It was stronger than the last Omega he’d bound but this property was larger...

 

The Dark Lord dropped the Omega carelessly as he felt the pulse of power spread outwards and anchor beneath their feet. The Malfoy Manor was secure. He felt the wards extend around the property and cast the pathetic excuse for a witch to snivel in her own fluids on the floor. He did not worry about her fleeing, Nagini watched lazily from the corner, indulgently sprawled across several chairs. Her tongue flicked out every few seconds to taste the air. Voldemort completely dismissed the wretch from his thoughts completely and pondered his next move, absently stroking his chin with bloody fingers.

 

“M-my Lord?”

 

“Speak.” The Dark Lord turned to face Yaxley who cowered with his head tilted in submission nearby. It was disappointing to to have lost so many of his more intelligent followers in the initial frenzy of the transformations, but at least those who remained were truly loyal and securely bound if they ever thought to waver. He had delighted when he had discovered that this curse allowed him to tie his servants even tighter to himself than even the Dark Mark had permitted.

 

Yaxley bowed deeply, “The Ministry has established a new government beneath emergency laws passed in the midst of the crisis events of the initial outbreak. They were fully embedded in their positions before the dust settled and we were unable to get more than a few into positions of any authority. They rushed through a wealth of Legislation already, mostly to acknowledge Alpha and Omega rights to sovereign families and territories. The public word is that the rush was due to the imminent Call of the International Confederation but the whispers seem to indicate it was more of a desperate attempt to mitigate complete collapse. They are pursuing an entirely new infrastructure and social hierarchy, just as you predicted. Once the legislative foundations are laid and the Confederation recognizes your position it will be a simple matter to infiltrate. Already there is a legal precedent for dominant Alpha authority. All is proceeding according to plan so far, My Lord.”

 

“Find out when the call will be issued and inform me immediately,” Lord Voldemort ordered. He would not miss this opportunity to establish himself as the power that he was. And in the new world order, he would no longer be relegated to the shadows. Already the wizarding world was retreating from the vermin in muggle society. With their violent drives it would not take long to nurture that natural separation into open war. A few carefully orchestrated murders, a slip here or there so that the muggles’ ignorance of their magical neighbours was corrected... The terror would drive another witch hunt and the threat would fan the already burning fans of Alpha tempers. It was inevitable really, even without his help, but Lord Voldemort always preferred to be the hand pulling the strings. He would not leave to chance an opportunity such as this when he had the means to be hailed its mastermind. This world would be his. He _would_ rule all. And he would punish _anyone_ who tried to stand in his way.

 

Speaking of obstacles... Lord Voldemort considered another who had once bowed and bent his neck the way Yaxley was now, “What word have you on our slippery little traitor? He ran back to his true Master swiftly enough, the ungrateful little pissant. Did Bella manage to send word to the Malfoy brat on _his_ Master’s will?”

 

“Snape has been at Hogwarts since his flight but not seen. Word is, he was gravely injured or perhaps dead and the news hushed. We sent word to the boy as you instructed but have not received a reply. All communication was shut down on Wednesday except the Headmaster’s direct Floo and its been locked to a few government and emergency channels. It won’t remain so for much longer, with the parent presence in the Ministry growing, but it is quiet now.” Yaxley did his best to be both swift and precise. The Dark Lord’s rage was almost palpable and it took more courage than he had not to cringe slightly when it reached his senses. It was nearly impossible to resist the urge to offer submission when his Lord ran hot like this, whether from lust or anger or ambition. And the more violent the Dark Lord’s temperament the more demanding his followers found their bonds. Yaxley would have to break his newest toy more thoroughly than expected to pull himself back from the hungry edge of his instincts once he left here. They pushed him to enforce his power where he could when it was taken so completely here, it would be soothed only by the blood and terror of someone weaker than himself or a fight with another Alpha... No, not a fight. It would not do to injure himself or another of the Lord’s bound Alpha’s. The punishment for impeding His plans had only grown more dire since the Change and the Dark Lord had never been known for his mercy.

 

A door slammed against a wall and Bellatrix Lestrange sashayed into the room with two naked Betas trailing behind her with dead eyes. Cursed silver leashes connected to solid metal cuffs that wrapped tightly enough at the throat to be bordered by angry red skin. As one of the last Alphas to Change and one of the few remaining from the Dark Lord’s Inner Circle, her standing among the Dark Lord’s followers was uncontested. That she had bound no less than three Omega’s capable of claiming territory had not damaged her position one whit, though Yaxley had once hoped her ambition would finally catch her by the throat. Her skill at training Betas and breaking weaker Alphas left her a step beneath the Dark Lord himself and it wasn’t a large step, Yaxley watched his step in her presence almost as carefully as his Lord’s. Having the both of them here at once... Yaxley had to stiffen his muscles to keep from fleeing the room altogether.

 

Bellatrix stopped mere steps from where Yaxley cowered and sneered at him before offering the Dark Lord an obligatory tilt of her chin that was barely more than a nod, though it offered submission if not by much. Her scent was hot and musky with lust and the remnants of mating, “I have discovered the most fascinating news my Lord. It would appear that the sealing of Hogwarts was more than a flight of fancy by the doddering fool who roosts there. It’s a tasty tidbit I’ve scavenged from my little birdies, My Lord. Absolutely delicious!”

 

“Bella, my pet, I am not a pet to leap and swat when you dangle a string. Divulge your news or go play with your broken dolls before I decide you are wasting the gift of your tongue and rip it form your head,” Lord Voldemort cast Cruciatus upon one of her trailing Betas with a dismissively careless wave of his wand. His temper was more than short, it was nonexistent. He _wanted_ to hurt someone. Not only with the destructive power at his fingertips but with fang and claw. He licked a dried patch of blood from the edge of his lip and fantasized. He wanted to taste the blood on his tongue as life pumped its way out of twitching flesh. To rend and tear and...

 

Bellatrix remained unmoved even as his scent shifted and bloomed with violence. Her own scent was still similarly hot and hungry, “It would appear that ickle Potty was locked up for his own protection these past few weeks. I was told he emerged from hiding the morning the Castle shut down and appeared quite.... diminished.”

 

She held up a hand with finger and thumb barely separated and cackled, “Poor itty bitty Potter.”

 

“You do not mean...” Yaxley stared at Bellatrix in blatant shock, “Potter is an Omega?!”

 

Lord Voldemort chuckled darkly. His voice was thick with wicked delight. This was _perfect!_ Every blessing in Fate’s coffers was falling unasked into his lap. First, Dumbledore’s attempt at subterfuge had served the Curse into his hands. Then his own infection had augmented his already considerable power. And now this! When next he cornered the loathsome little thorn in his side, the brat would be powerless before him and Voldemort would take his retribution for almost two decades of annoyance from the boy’s flesh before he enslaved the brat’s newfound nature to his own purpose. He would use the boy to claim the very castle that had served as refuge against him for so long. He would glut himself on the satisfaction of watching Dumbledore’s pitiful rebellion crumble beneath the sight of their Saviour on his knees. For the first time since he’d rutted that Omega in heat through her death spasms, Lord Voldemort felt the stirrings of true lust. Harry Potter would be his, “I want Potter brought to me. I do not care how it is done or who bleeds to make it happened. Bring him to me.”

 

“Yes my Lord!” Yaxley gasped.

 

He scrambled from the room, leaving the Dark Lord and Bellatrix to their discussion. He would spread the word to whomever he passed and seek the means to get his Lord what He desired immediately. Yaxley knew as instinctively as he read scents now, that if he returned empty handed he would pay for it dearly and the longer the Dark Lord was made to wait for that return the more keenly his price would be exacted. In some things, failure was inexcusable. And when it came to Harry Potter it often could, and did, cost more than one could pay if they wished to continue breathing.

 

It would be difficult to gain entry to Hogsmeade unnoticed with Polyjuice no longer functioning predictably, but Yaxley had more than a few favours he could call in and a couple tools he’d kept in reserve for just such a time as this. He _would_ bring the Lord his prize or come close enough to help another do it. He had no desire to join those who had once stood above him in the Dark Lord’s regard. Only the luckiest had been buried without ceremony on the grounds. Nagini had a prolific appetite.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a bunch of works in progress both in fandom and originals (mostly M/M). This is my first time posting anything so if there is anyone interested in Beta reading or Co-writing anything let me know. I’m totally in to do the same in return if someone needs a beta. I’m always looking for ways to improve and more things to write about. Hope you enjoyed this one!


End file.
